BAND TOGETHER
COMMUNIQUÉ

After a two-month hiatus, the Band Together Communiqué is gearing up to resume regular publication. Today's Communiqué is mostly intended to re-establish our communication lines and we will provide more detailed information in the coming weeks. Below, you'll find very brief updates on some of the union's activities.

Many thanks to the volunteer members of the ad hoc Communications Committee who brought the newsletter to you during the union's earliest days: John Bumgarner (DCM-Norfolk), Angela Pleasants (PDP-Denver), Rod Rodgers (DCM-HQ), Kathryn Smith (DCM-HQ), and Committee Co-Chairs Shaunessye Curry (HC-Chicago) and Regina Santucci (EWIS-HQ).

It took a while to work out the details, but the Interim Council has formally established a Communications Committee that will oversee all aspects of union-related communications, including, but not limited to, publication of the Band Together Communiqué, and the union's communication with the media and the Hill.

We'd like for you to volunteer your time and talents - or at least your suggestions - to the Communication Committee. Do you have an idea for a regular column? Do you know someone who should be receiving the newsletter, but isn't?  This type of feedback will help to make the newsletter relevant and keep us from becoming just another "Delete" item in your mailbox!  We will be issuing calls for contributions and other assistance in future issues.

If you would like to get involved with the Communications Committee, or have any ideas that you'd like to share with us, please contact Lise Levie (Chair/EWIS), Lee Carroll (Co-Chair/Denver) or Meg Mills (Co-Chair/FMA) or Lesia Mandzia (Editor/HC).

On the Hill

On March 13, Jackie Harpp of EWIS testified on behalf of the union before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives). Jackie testified on GAO reforms and the impact on staff of those human capital transformation efforts that focused on the restructuring of one pay band (Band II) under Pay-for-Performance (PFP), changes to employee classification and compensation using a market-based pay study, as well as the proposed legislation before the committee, referred to as the Government Accountability Act of 2008. Congratulations to Jackie, whose testimony represented the first time a member of the union testified before a congressional committee.

The House has completed mark-up on H.R. 5683, which would provide a lump sum payment to GAO employees whose pay increase in 2006 or 2007 was lower than GAO's annual adjustment for that year. The bill also seeks to guarantee that employees who meet expectations would receive annual raises that are at least equal to the General Schedule increase. The Interim Council voted to support these provisions of the legislation and this support was expressed in testimony to the Federal Workforce Subcommittee.

Interim Council Update - Preview

Union Contacts

If you have questions or comments, or need assistance from the union, please email your Interim Council representative (listed below).  You can also send questions and comments to ICquestions@ifpte.org.

If you have concerns or questions about committee activity, the names and contacts of the full membership of all the committees will be posted online in the near future.

DISCLAIMER - Communications that are not sent directly from the IFPTE or the GAO union Interim Council, or communications posted anonymously on the Web, do not represent the views of IFPTE or the official position of the collective members of the GAO bargaining unit.