Interim Direction for Rehire of Long-term Temporary Seasonal Employees in the Competitive Service: Under existing policy, rehire is an eligibility, not a right. For the first time, the agency has committed to rehiring returning temporary employees with 24 or more months of service, providing certain common-sense criteria are met. Rehire eligibility of others is not affected. This policy was developed by collaboration between your union and agency leadership in the Forest Service Partnership Council (FSPC). For more information on this important policy, Click Here.
2/1/11 Update: There have been questions and misunderstandings about the interim direction. The direction changes nothing for employees with less than 24 months of service. They still have rehire eligibility. The decision to rehire them or compete the position they filled in previous seasons is at the discretion of the hiring official, just as has been the case in the past. For positions unaffected by the interim direction, it is the hiring official's responsibility to take into account safety, retention of critical experience, training costs, and ongoing efforts to ensure diverse candidates have an opportunity to compete.
The week of May 9, 2011 a delegation of a dozen Council representatives met with scores of Congressional representatives to present a specific legislative proposal for a "path to permanence." If enacted, it would:
May 9-13, 2011: Congressional briefing paper, Temporary Employment Reform: Building a Path to Permanence and our legislative proposal (updated Nov. 12, 2011) were presented to Congress.
May 17, 2011: The Forest Service endorses legislation for a "path to permanence." [Note: this is an endorsement of the goals of the legislative proposal; not of the specific language in the proposal itself.]
Important: The time to pick up the phone is now! We have laid the groundwork; it is now up to you to let Congress know this is an important issue. If you delay, the momentum generated by our delegation may be lost. Elected representatives listen to their constituents. See What Can I Do? for how to contact Congress and otherwise get involved. See Path to Permanence Talking Points to help you discuss the issue with your elected representative. The time to pick up the phone is now! Federal employees, be sure to use your personal phone and call on your own time.Thousands of employees of land management agencies have served their country for 5, 10, 20, or more seasons under a string of temporary appointments -- with no benefits, retirement, or hope of career advancement. Many employees are trapped in this 2nd class status. This has huge negative effects on morale and efficiency. We are working for reforms to:
This will be a long, hard battle. The economy is in bad shape and the federal budget is deeply in the red. But it is a simple matter of justice: the government should not treat its employees worse than Wal-Mart does! See What Can I Do? for how to get involved.
August 1, 2010: Government Executive Magazine publishes "Permanent Fix," an article on temporary employment reform and the Congressional hearing on the issue. Click here to see a photo of Joe and Lisa, two long-term "temporary" employees who attended the hearing.
July 29, 2010: The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported out the bill (S. 3677) making appropriations for financial services and general government. The accompanying Senate Report (111-238) included language addressing temporary employment reform. This is a direct result of meetings during Legislative Week, and shows we've got support for reform in the Senate as well as in the House.
June 30, 2010: Congressional hearing held: "Temporary Employee Practices: How Long Does Temporary Last?" NFFE flew in two 30-year "temporary" employees for the hearing. We thank them for their willingness to share their stories and put a human face on this issue. At the conclusion of the hearing, House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia Chair Stephen Lynch committed to working with NFFE to address inappropriate uses of the temporary employment authority. For more information see:
June 25, 2010: Update on upcoming Congressional hearing, "Temporary Employee Practices: How Long Does Temporary Last?" Our advocacy efforts on the Hill have put this issue on the Congressional agenda.
May 10, 2010: Congressional White Paper, Unfinished Business: Temporary Hiring Reform is released. Union representatives will meet with over 100 Congressional offices and Executive Branch officials during Legislative Week, May 10-14, and continue to advocate for reform in the weeks and months to come.
March 1, 2010: An agency initiative that would have caused a purge hundreds of temporary seasonal employees is halted. The union's position is that a pathway to permanence for our long-term temporary employees must be part of a transition to a permanent seasonal workforce. See Re-instatement of 1039 Positions for more information.
January 6, 2010: Results from our employee survey on temporary hiring practices are released. The Washington Post picked up the story.
September 27 - November 22, 2009: In response to Congressional inquiries for more data, an employee survey on temporary hiring practices is conducted.
May 11, 2009: 2010 Congressional Brief, Stop Temporary Hiring Abuse, is distributed and discussed in meetings with over 100 Congressional offices. They were receptive but wanted more information.
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