BAND TOGETHER
COMMUNIQUÉ

October 14, 2008

Union Notices 

Interim Collective Bargaining Agreement and Union Constitution Ratification Vote Begins this Week
Benefits of Joining the Union at GAO; Upcoming Brown Bag Information Sessions
How Do I Join the Union?

Interim Collective Bargaining Agreement and Union Constitution Ratification Vote Begins this Week 

As reported in the Special Communiqué on Thursday, Oct. 2, the Union Interim Council has voted to recommend both the interim collective bargaining agreement and the union constitution to the bargaining unit for ratification. Both documents are attached to this message.

The ratification vote on the Interim Agreement and the Constitution will occur between Wednesday, Oct. 15 and Tuesday, October 21. As in the past, voting will be done electronically, with support from the IFPTE. All members of the bargaining unit, whether or not they have joined the union, are eligible to participate in the ratification vote.  You should receive an email message from IFTPE on Wednesday, Oct. 15, with voting instructions. 

The ballot will contain two questions, as follows:

 

"Do you vote to ratify the Interim Agreement?"  [Yes or No]

 

"Do you vote to ratify the Union Constitution?"  [Yes or No]

  

If you do not receive a ballot by the start of business on Thursday, Oct. 16, please contact either Todd D. Anderson, Chair, Elections Committee, at AndersonTD@gao.gov, or John Forester, Elections Committee Member, at Forresterj@gao.gov.  They will work with you in either finding the message with the ballot or forwarding a replacement ballot to you.   

If the Constitution is approved, the election of officers and the Assembly will occur in the coming months, but only those who have joined the union are eligible to vote in those elections.  There has been a change in the schedule, however, from last week's Communiqué: nominations for the officer positions will occur in November, with the officer election occurring in December; the election for Assembly positions will occur sometime early in the new year. The actual dates will be subject to the approval of the Interim Council.

If you have any questions about the upcoming votes, please contact Todd D. Anderson, at the email address above or 202-512-3666.

Benefits of Joining the Union at GAO; Upcoming Brown-Bag Information Sessions

Although we all have our own associations with the loaded term "union," the basic concept is that individuals who come together in a democratic process to resolve issues within their work environment will be more effective than if each person tried on their own. In the case of our union here at GAO, we have definitely improved relations with management, because there are now mechanisms to resolve issues - such as negotiation and meditation - rather than having to resort to lawsuits.     

Membership gives you a voice in your union.  If the Constitution is approved this week, the election of officers and the Union assembly are likely to happen in December and January.  However, while all bargaining unit employees may vote on the Constitution and interim agreement, only those who join the union as members will be eligible to run and vote in the officer and Assembly elections. Please remember that to become a member you must fill out a Union membership form - attached to this message - even if you signed a card or voted for the creation of the union last year. Also attached, you'll find the GAO Dues Deduction Form.

We will be holding two more brown-bag information sessions to answer any questions and provide more details on the importance of being involved in your union as a member:

October 22, 2008 at 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET - HQ Room 4950B
November 3, 2008 at 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET - HQ Room 2T59

Field staff can participate by calling the following number: 1-866-285-7778 (passcode 9164844). 

How Do I Join the Union?

To join the Union, please fill out a membership form and give the form to your Interim Council representative.  You can also email the membership form to gaounionmembership@ifpte.org.  If you chose to have dues deducted automatically, you need to fill out an additional form (GAO Form 676), which you can email to Workforcerelations@gao.gov.  Field office staff can email or pouch the dues deduction form to Workforce Relations.  More information on the membership application and payment options is available on the GAO Union website at http://www.gaoanalysts.org.

Please Give Us Your Feedback and Contributions

The Communications Committee would like your feedback regarding articles you'd like to see, questions you'd like answered, or any other suggestions!  Please send your feedback to Charlie Willson (willsonc@gao.gov).  If you would like the next Communiqué to include a Union-related announcement or the time and place of a Union-related meeting, please forward the information to Lise Levie (leviel@gao.gov) by 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 16, to be considered for next week's Communiqué.

Union Contacts

If you have questions or comments, or need assistance from the Union, please email your Interim Council Representative.  You can also send questions and comments to ICquestions@gaoanalysts.org.

Members of the bargaining unit are welcome to observe Interim Council meetings, either in person or by phone.  In addition, members are invited to submit or share thoughts at the beginning of the meeting. Please contact your representative or another member of the IC for more details, including the call-in number for those who cannot attend in person. The Interim Council meets each Wednesday at 3:30 PM ET in room 2T59.

Get Active Action Center - Give the IFPTE Feedback

As we get more volunteers, we have better ideas. To assist Analysts in advancing their rights and representation within GAO, IFPTE has developed an advocacy tool to allow Analysts to provide feedback to the Union. GAO Analysts are encouraged to sign up for the Action Center if they haven't already done so.

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.