Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I wanted to bring the ARTs up to date on what is happening with the Uniform Issue.

The ART program was developed in 1958 and since that time the wearing of the military

uniform was voluntary. In August 2007, almost 50 years after the inception of the ART

program, the Air Force changed the language in AFI 36-703, 36-801 and 36-2903 from

voluntary to mandatory. The Air Force sent the notice to this local and we put in a

demand to bargain this change. The Air Force has declared that this is a management

right to do this and that somehow if you wear a military uniform and look more military,

even though you are still in civilian status, you will be more productive and the Mission

will improve. As straight civilian employee, I take great offense that somehow because I

wear civilian clothes, I am less important on Travis AFB and I think you should too.

Your Union, AFGE, filed a Lawsuit in the Washington DC Federal Court around May

2008. The lawsuit essentially asks is it lawful for the Air Force to put civilians in a military

uniform and give them no pay, points or credits for making them wear that uniform. In

addition is it legal to make civilians, in a civilian status, wear a military uniform and comply

with all the military customs and courtesies that entails such as haircuts, maintaining

the uniform, saluting and on and on. I know that was one of the main points of me getting

out of Active Duty. I didn't want to be a GI everyday anymore. I did become an ART

because once a month was OK. I knew what I was signing up for, but no one signed up

for this. The local negotiations sort of went on hold as we all waited for the Courts to

decide whether this action was legal or illegal. We have a Hearing date of 2 June 2011

for the ART Lawsuit in Washington DC. AFGE has hired a very prominent military law

attorney who is also a professor at Yale. We have every hope and have taken every step

to win this case in court and prove the Air Force took an illegal action.

Now as to the bargaining at the Base level. I recently spoke to the 349th Wing Commander

on this issue and here is essentially what he said. He Stated, The AFI's were changed

back in August 2007 and as the Wing Commander of a very large Reserve Wing, he feels

he has a responsibility to be in compliance with the AFI's, which is today, that ARTs

should be in uniform. He said that it was not anything personal and if the courts side with

the union on this he was fine with that too. He just felt that the 349th Wing should be in

compliance with the AFI's and asked Civilian Personnel to get with the Union and restart

bargaining on this issue. On 18 May 2011, the Union and Civilian Personnel, with the

assistance of a Federal Mediator met and hammered out a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) on the Ground Rules for bargaining the ART Uniform issue. We are

currently, putting proposals together and we will go to the Bargaining Table on 14 June 2011.

At that time we will bargain appropriate arrangements to the Air Force's decision to put

you civilians in a military uniform every day of the week until you ART career is over.

We are all praying that we will be successful at the ART Lawsuit Hearing as that is our

best chance to stop this crazy idea. There are a whole group of reasons why this is wrong

but here are the big two. 

 1. In a time when the federal government is running a huge deficit and they are discussing

cutting our pay, benefits and jobs to deal with this insurmountable deficit, the Air Force is

going to add close to a million dollars a year to the Defense Budget buying new uniforms,

clothing allowance to maintaining those uniforms, lockers to hold those uniforms and a

number of other costs every year, when they used to get that free because you wore your

civilian clothes to work each day. So, there is this incredible need to freeze my pay, make

me pay more for retirement and other benefits but you can afford to give out tens of thousands

of new military uniforms to civilians each year? That makes no sense at all!

 2. ART are long term federal employees and stay 25 to 40 years in federal service and must

stay in the Reserves to maintain their civil service jobs. If you stay in the Reserves for say

30 years you are probable a TSgt, MSgt or even a SMSgt. In an Associated Wing such

as we have at Travis AFB, these aircraft belong to the 60th AMW and the 60th is usually

in charge of a work crew Monday through Friday which includes ARTs who are civilians

and normally in civilian clothes. Now, you are going to have Active Duty SSgt’s ordering

around TSgt’s and MSgt's because they are really not military members today, they are

civilians whose rank means nothing. I have spoken to other bases that have gone through

this and higher ranking ARTs are being laughed at when ordered about by a lower graded  

Active Duty person and told you are “just a Reservist” anyway. How is that good for military

order? How is that to an ART who has dedicated 20, 30 or more years of their lives to the  

Air Force Reserves and now their rank means nothing? How is that good for Morale?

Many of the Air Force Reserve Leadership don't think this is a big deal but I do and I have

heard from thousands of ARTs at Travis and across this Country and they think it's a very

big deal. I have taken this issue to my Congressman and asked, can the Defense

Appropriations support this expensive proposition? Is it a good idea for the Air Force to

damage the morale of the heart of the Air Force Reserve program, the ARTs, at a time

our Country is at war?  I recommend you let Congress know how you feel on this issue.

I will keep you posted on the Lawsuit and the local bargaining. Ben Scott is the ART

Council Chairperson here at Travis. Jim Benson is a Loadmaster in the 349th. Jim, Ben

and I will be bargaining this issue at the Local level. We ask for your support and comments.

The Union is fighting this issue for every ART and we need your help. It’s imperative that

you let your Reserve leadership and Congress know how you feel on this issue. There is

strength in numbers, and the more voices heard, are the more voices that will get answers. If

your leadership and your elected officials only hear from a few of us at the Union level that

tells them there isn’t a big concern over this issue. They need to hear this from the street.

It's been 25 years since I was an ART and I am having trouble sleeping at night thinking

how wrong this is!

Sincerely,

John

John P. Santry, President
AFGE Local 1764
P. O. Box 1566
Travis AFB, CA 94535
(707) 437-2693 wk
(707) 437-9352 fax

===============================================================================================================

John P. Santry, President
AFGE Local 1764
P. O. Box 1566
Travis AFB, CA 94535
(707) 437-2693 wk
(707) 437-9352 fax

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Brothers & Sisters,

I wanted to remind you that the Union Membership Meeting is this Thursday, May 12th,

2011, at 451 Burgan Blvd. Building 245 at 4:30 pm (16:30). We will discuss the ART

uniform issue and the attacks on employee pay and benefits.Our local website is up

and running!  Please check out the new website atwww.afgelocal1764.org and you

will see information about the local and links to the national web page.If you have

recent changes to your personal information to please update your information with

us by calling the union office at (707) 437-2693 or sending us an email

at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   If you are interested in the dental plan and/or other

union benefits come to the local office to get more information.

Starting on May 23^rd, there is a nationwide election at the airports for the TSA

Screeners.  AFGE is one of the two unions competing for the nationwide unit. If you

are traveling to the airport between May 23^rd to June 21^st, please wear your AFGE

items and ask them to please vote AFGE.  We have Vote AFGE luggage tags at the

union office.

The ART uniform lawsuit hearing is in Washington DC on June 2^nd.  The local has

contributed $2,000 toward the lawsuit. We will keep you posted on the results.

Happy Memorial Day!

John

John P Santry

President

AFGE Local 1764

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May 5, 2011

Obama Against Anti-Union Laws: President Barack Obama last week told a TV network that

he strongly disapproves of new laws adopted by some states that take away public employees’

union rights.  “Let’s make sure that we’ve got shared sacrifice, that we make sure that the

burden doesn’t just fall on one set of folks,” President Obama told WKYC-TV in a White

House interview. “Let’scertainly not blame public employees for a financial crisis that they had

nothing to do with.  And let’s not use this as an excuse to erode their bargaining rights. And

so whether it’s Wisconsin or what we’re seeing in Ohio, I strongly disapprove.”

Gage Honors Public Employees: AFGE President John Gage today honors hardworking

government employees for their dedication and commitment to public service as the nation this

week celebrates Public Service Recognition Week in communities across the country.

“I know firsthand the hard work that public-sector employees do,” President Gage said in a

statement. “They guard our borders, police our skies, heal our wounded warriors, inspect our meat

and food supply, process retirement benefits and administer grants that help house the indigent and

feed the elderly. On the local level, public-sector employees are your police

officers, fire fighters, public defenders and teachers. I’m optimistic that the

future is bright for public-sector workers. Most Americans still have a

favorable view of government employees, especially when they think about

the Veterans Affairs Department nurse caring for a returning soldier or the

local postal carrier who delivers their mail. Recognizing public service during

the first week in May is a good first step. But we must carry the banner

throughout the year, highlighting the critical programs and services

delivered by public-sector employees that will be irreparably harmed if

some folks have their way.”

Agency heads this week also came out to express their appreciation for federal employees. Twelve

Cabinet secretaries and two agency leaders signed an open letter, thanking federal employees

for their important contributions and sacrifice. First Lady Michelle Obama joined in. She spoke

in a video thanking government employees for their service. And today, May 5, 34 outstanding

federal employees were honored at a Capitol Hill breakfast by the Partnership for Public Service,

which has chosen these employees as finalists contending for Service to America Medals in nine

categories including federal employee of the year. The winners will be announced Sept. 15.

Justice, BOP Drop Appeal on Stab-Resistant Vest Case: The Justice Department

and the Bureau of Prisons last week dropped their appeal to a ruling by the Federal

Labor Relations Board in a stab-resistant vest case, paving the way for AFGE BOP

Locals to negotiate with management on stab-resistant vest maintenance and

storage.  The FLRA last year ruled in favor of the AFGE Council of Prison Locals

when it declared that BOP is obligated to negotiate with the union on a number of

vest-related proposals that the agency had declared non-negotiable. AFGE proposed

that the vests issued to correctional officers be maintained in a secure area at the

worksite if the employees requested the vests as opposed to requiring employees to

carry them to and from work. The union also proposed that the agency consider the

stab-resistant vests as safety equipment, and that the cleaning of the vests be

negotiated locally. AFGE maintained that keeping the vests at work reduces the risk

of the vests being stolen and the likelihood of employees being disciplined for

failing to bring the vest to work. BOP claimed that keeping the vests at the worksite

is a burden to BOP and that the union’s proposal restricts management’s right to

take disciplinary action against employees who neglected to bring the vest to work.

Paul Ryan Misleads the Public on Federal Pension: House Budget

Committee chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., recently spoke to a group of

voters and told them “federal workers should contribute something to their

pension, because most workers, in all other aspects, pay toward their

pensions. We think the federal workers should do as well.” The event was

aired on Fox News April 12. This is the kind of lie and misinformation

that leads to a distorted view of federal employees and their pay and benefits.

Ryan earlier wrote a budget proposal for fiscal 2012 that would freeze

federal pay through 2015, cut federal jobs by 10 percent through attrition in

the next three years, and further deprive federal agencies by freezing their

budgets at the 2008 levels for five years. AFGE is asking its members to fight back now by

visiting www.afge.org and click on the Fight Back Toolkit button.

AFGE Celebrates National Nurses Week: May 6-12 week is National Nurses Week.

AFGE salutes the hard work and dedication of our nurses throughout the Department

of Veterans’ Affairs, Bureau of Prisons and Department of Defense. AFGE and our

National Veterans Affairs Council (NVAC) are working tirelessly to improve the

working conditions and bargaining rights of VA employees including nurses. Led by

District 8 National Vice President Jane Nygaard, the AFGE Nurse Steering Committee

convenes monthly to bring the challenges facing nurses at the VA, DoD, and Bureau

of Prisons to the forefront. Issues taken up by the committee include full collective

bargaining rights for VA nurses, advancing legislation that will provide true overtime

for nurses within the Bureau of Prisons and DoD, and ensuring safe staffing levels

for nurses who work throughout the federal government.

Read personal stories of the nurses who serve our country and veterans here, or visit

our National Nurses Week Facebook page to learn more.

75% of NSPS Employees Transferred Back to GS in 2010: According to a new report

issued April 28 by the Government Accountability Office, the Defense Department

converted 172,000 of the 226,000 National Security Personnel System employees to

the General Schedule system in 2010. DOD plans to transition the remaining NSPS

employees by the January 1, 2012. The GAO noted that in its efforts to create a new

performance management system, DoD has not developed a plan with goals and

timelines tied to funding.

Agencies’ Telework Policy Due to OPM by June 7: According to the Office of Personnel

Management’s new guidance on telework, all agencies must establish a telework policy and notify

employees of their eligibility by June 7. OPM’s guidance spells out agencies’ responsibilities in

fulfilling the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, which gives agencies

180 days to establish a telework policy, requires agencies to name an

official to manage telework programs, and incorporate the policy into

plans to be implemented during natural disasters or other emergencies.

Current CIA Director to Lead DoD: President Barack Obama

has tapped current CIA Director Leon Panetta to head the Defense

Department after Defense Secretary Robert Gates steps down June

30. Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top general in Afghanistan, will

replace Panetta at CIA.

Inside Government: Tune in now to AFGE’s radio show Inside Government for a closer

look at Public Service Recognition Week, which takes place May 1 – 7. The show,

originally aired on Friday, April 29, is now available on demand. Partnership for

Public Service Vice President of Communications and Research Lara Shane previewed

Public Service Recognition Week, which is designed to honor hardworking government

employees for their dedication and commitment to public service. But first, AFGE

Local 1401 Assistant Chief Steward Brian Frayer discussed his efforts to promote

H.R. 324, which would provide Defense Department police officers with statutory

authority to execute warrants, make arrests, and carry firearms. Lastly, AFGE

Council of Prison Locals President Bryan Lowry discussed the recent Government

Accountability Officereport entitled “Evaluating the Impact of Protective Equipment

Could Help Enhance Officer Safety” and the need to provide protective equipment

to Bureau of Prisons correctional officers.

Listen LIVE on Fridays at 10 a.m. on 1500 AM WFED in the D.C.

area or online at www.federalnewsradio.com.

Quote of the Week

House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan on federal pension:

=====================================================================================================================================================================

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The House on Friday passed a 2012 Budget Plan that proposes some serious attacks

on Federal Employees Pay and Benefits. This came directly from a Federal Times

article so you can see this in black and white.

The House on Friday passed a Republican budget plan for fiscal 2012 that would

freeze federal employees' step increases and pay raises for five years, cut the

government's workforce by 10 percent, and require feds to pay much more

into their pension plans. H. Con. Res. 34, proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.,

also sets a budget blueprint for the next 10 years that would cut $6 trillion in

federal spending. It stands virtually no chance of passing the Senate, which is

controlled by Democrats who oppose the bill. Ryan's plan would only allow the

government to hire one new employee for every three who leave, which he said

would cut 10 percent from the federal workforce by 2014.

It freezes federal pay through 2015, three years longer than the current pay

freeze would last, and cancels periodic step increases. And it adopts the White

House's deficit reduction commission's plan to require federal employees to pay

half of the costs of their pensions, instead of 1/14th of the cost, as employees

under the Federal Employees Retirement System currently pay.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif.,

said the bill's federal workforce provisions would bring federal pay and benefits

more in line with the private sector, and save $375 billion over ten years.

"The Path to Prosperity budget sets the stage for critical cost-cutting reforms

from the federal workforce that reduce the deficit and help grow our economy,"

Issa said.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association said this would likely

mean FERS employees would pay about 5.8 percent of their salaries toward their

pensions, instead of the 0.8 percent they currently contribute. FERS employees

already contribute 6.2 percent of their salaries to Social Security, which Adcock said

would mean FERS employees would pay 12 percent in all toward their pensions.

Civil Service Retirement System employee contributions would increase from 7

percent to about 12.5 percent, NARFE said. They do not pay into Social Security or

receive any benefits from that program.

A coalition of 22 federal employee unions, management groups and retiree

representatives sent a letter to lawmakers April 13 denouncing the plan and urging

Congress to vote it down. They said the proposed changes to pension funding would

cut federal employees' pay, and said such steep workforce cuts are "more about

politics than good human resource management."

"The budget resolution's plan to take the wages of our federal workers and reduce

their pay will damage the government's ability to fulfill its responsibility to its

citizens," the groups said.

I would recommend that each of us contact our lawmakers and express our feelings

on this issue. We all have a lot to lose.

Sincerely,

John

John P. Santry, President
AFGE Local 1764
P. O. Box 1566
Travis AFB, CA 94535
(707) 437-2693 wk
(707) 437-9352 fax

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