Newsletter January 2016 Reflections

REFLECTIONS 2016
January, 2016
Marching Forward — Our Progress Continues...
Dear NVAC Leaders,
As we reflect on this past year, we are thankful
for the victories and the challenges. It has been a
busy year and we have achieved so much in just
12 months. One of our greatest accomplishments was obtaining over 110,000 members, and
we are still growing.
Our hard working Local leaders banded together
to sign up new members. The key organizing
topics included increased staffing levels, whistleblower retaliation and increased funding for duties related to Veteran care. The NVAC Organizing Committee, led by NVAC President Alma L.
Lee and Barbara Whitson - Casanova, had a record breaking year, increasing membership from
95,000 in 2013 to over 110,000 dues paying
members in 2015. With this number of members backing the NVAC organization, our strength
is formidable.
The Committee continues to raise their goals to
add new members, keeping NVAC the strongest
& largest Council within the American Federation
of Government Employees.
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The NVAC Communications Committee
has overcome many challenges in Communications and Information Technology
in 2015. While we strive to be innovative,
cutting edge, and forward thinking, we
have to balance that with Information security and defending ourselves against
hacks and attacks. We continued our
“Green” initiative by dispensing information electronically, being environmentally conscious and saving a few trees.
We’ve concentrated our efforts on expanding and upkeep of our fabulous NVAC
website. This website is packed with valuable information from organizing to negotiations, and more. The President’s
Briefings that go out 4 or 5 times a day are
another way we strive to keep you current
and up to date on all pertinent information. In the coming year we will be
adding Group text capabilities for the
Council and different Committees to enhance more rapid communication to our
members.
As always, we welcome your suggestions
and input for future capabilities.
 Develop a formal multi-disciplinary process with
mentoring to assist new employees to successfully
orient and to achieve competencies in their assigned areas.
 (Time & Leave) Modify physician time and leave
policy to permit use of sick leave (SL), annual
leave (AL) as all other employees have (15 minute increments).
 Comply with Title 38 regulations R/T overtime.
 Oversight and transparency of compensation pan-
Title 38 Mid-Term Bargaining Committee
The Title 38 Mid-Term Bargaining Committee
consists of Barbara Whitson-Casanova, RN, Kathleen Pachomski, RN, Diane Clines NP, David Mollett, RN and Jeffrey Sladek, RN Chairperson.
The Title 38 Mid-Term Bargaining Committee negotiates Title 38 issues that are a result of a demand to bargain over a change in working conditions that affects multiple Locals. The Committee
relies heavily on notification from the field for
the identification of changes in working conditions so that a demand to bargain can be initiated
as management frequently neglects to inform the
NVAC prior to implementation. You may contact
any of the Committee members if you have information about a policy change or directive
affecting the NVAC bargaining unit.
During the previous year the Title 38 Mid-Term
Bargaining Committee has dealt with multiple
issues concerning attempts to standardize practices of both Physicians and Nurses. The challenges that will be dealt with in the future are proposed changes in panel size for Nurses and Physicians as well as the day to day management of
schedules. In addition, safe staffing in terms of
patient staff ratios need to be standardized and
acceptable for the delivery of safe and quality
health care.
The Title 38 Mid-Term and Grievance and Arbitration Committees held a joint summit last summer to develop and disseminate recommendations to the Office of Nursing Service and the
Chief of Staff regarding Title 38 issues. The recommendations submitted were as follows;
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els outside of the local facility.
 Transparency of the CME budget and increase the
cap for CEU/CME annual requirements commensurate with the private sector.
 Full bargaining rights for Title 38 as all other bar-
gaining unit employees in the VA have.
 Appellate Peer Review Panels.
 Provide adequate support staff and space for pro-
viders delivering patient care.
 The PACT team only, should manage patient
scheduling and consults in collaboration with
their provider.
 Reinstitute Ken Kizer’s supervisor to staff ratio of
15 or more to 1 supervisory ratio.
 Support nurses that report unsafe staffing and
mandate that facilities develop a contingency
plan that does not include mandatory overtime
i.e., per diem pool, float pool, intermittent staff
etc.
 Develop a National Universal staffing co-efficient
to ensure safe patient care and adequate nurse patient ratios.
 Establish National Patient Staffing ratios for all
areas in a collaborative effort to develop solutions
that will build a safer environment for patients
and clinical staff.
 Overhaul the NPSB and ensure that it is fair to all
and not based on friends and positions.
 Stop the duplicitous documentation and find a
way to pull data from one note and not redundant documentations.
 Maintain “status quo” of provider panel sizes (800
NPs/PAs and 1200 MDs).
 Develop an oversight Committee beyond the lo-
cal facility to evaluate the delayed proficiency/
evaluations.
Continuation of Our Progress Continues…
The NVAC Mid-Term Bargaining Committee members are: Oscar L. Williams Jr., Chair, 2nd Executive Vice
President and Representative 7th VA District Council #59, William “Bill” Wetmore, 3rd Executive Vice President, Willie E. Haywood Jr., Terence J. Watts, Representative 5th VA District Council #179 , Willie E. Haywood Jr., President 6th VA District Council 262, and Jeffery Sladek, President 13th VA District Council #219.
Since January 1, 2015, the Mid-Term Bargaining Committee has submitted more than 306 demands to bargain requests, survey/questionnaires approval and/or disapproval to VA, VHA VISNs, NCA, VCS, CBO Purchase Care, SAO and at facilities with more than one AFGE Local. It has been a very busy year.
The Mid-Term Committee with the help of Diane Clines, President AFGE Local 96, St. Louis, MO and NVAC
National Representative, negotiated an internal appeal process, regarding a removal action for VCS NonVeterans workers; under 38 USC were considered at-will employees for this action. Now these workers can
file a timely appeal to VCS in St. Louis, MO.
.
The Mid-Term Bargaining Committee would like to thank all of the NVAC Locals that helped to keep us
informed of changes in working conditions that the Department‘s management officials try to implement
without meeting their national bargaining obligation.
NVAC Legislative Update — “On the Hill”
Submitted by Michael Rosenblatt, Lobbyist/Grassroots Mobilization Coordinator
American Federation of Government Employees, National VA Council
On October 20th, the Senate
attempted to move ahead
with legislation that would
make all VA employees at-will.
The bill would also extend probationary periods for VA employees from 12 to 18 months.
Thanks to thousands of phone
calls and a quick response,
NVAC was able to stop the bill
dead in its tracks. Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) put a hold on
the legislation which will require 60 votes to overcome.
Despite this victory, NVAC must
continue to push calls to all
Senators through our patch
through line. Please call 1-855976-5397 and tell your Senator:
to vote NO on S. 1082.
H.R. 313, the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act, passed
the House of Representatives at
the end of September. The bill
provides an additional 104
hours of sick leave for newly
hired federal employees who
are 30% or higher SC veterans.
care challenges and do not
have a bank of leave saved up
when they start working. This
bill alleviates that concern and
allows for veterans to not
have to decide between their
paycheck and their healthcare.
The Senate passed their version earlier this summer. The
two bills have several differences that must be reconciled
before the legislation is signed
by the President.
Veterans starting in the federal
work force have unique health -
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AFGE/NVAC NEWS
Year-End...coming to a close
Submitted by Michael Rosenblatt, Lobbyist/Grassroots Mobilization
Coordinator
NVAC demonstrated great mobilization in fighting back against the
anti-accountability bills. As a union, we generated tens of thousands of phone calls in opposition
through national telephone town
halls, action alerts, and our nearly
200 Legislative and Political Coordinators (LPCs). In 2016, we plan
on expanding our mobilization capacity. NVAC also secured additional leave for newly hired federal
employees who are veterans over
30% service connected. The legislation will provide an additional
104 hours of sick leave to treat
their service connected issues
since these employees do not have
an initial bank of leave saved up.
The legislation will commence next
fiscal year.
NVAC has also been brought to the
table for VBA issues. We continue
to support legislation that would
help veterans working at VBA and
themselves participating in a vocational rehabilitation program transition into the workforce. We have
also submitted our opinions on
VBMS based on a survey with
nearly 200 responses. NVAC will
continue to push for hiring a significant number of additional
claims processors to prevent any
By Marilyn Park
AFGE Legislative Representative
In 2015 NVAC fought back successfully against a steady and intense
barrage of assaults against the
workplace rights of VA employees. We presented a true VA accountability agenda that was well
received by lawmakers, veterans
groups and the public -- a veteranfocused agenda that reduces mismanagement while protecting
the due process rights of front line
employees who play an essential
role in reporting mismanagement
threats of returning to mandatory
overtime and eliminating the need
to rely on arbitrary and
unfair performance standards.
and improving the quality and access to services that our veterans
deserve. In 2016 NVAC will continue to work with other stakeholders to strengthen the VA and push
back against the distorted selfinterested messages of privatizers.
We will continue to lobby for legislation that helps the VA attract and
retain the VA health care workforce that veterans consistently
prefer over non-VA care. We will
fight to secure equal rights for
every VA employee and veteran in
the VA workforce and continue to
promote fair and accurate job classifications over destructive downgrades.
REFLECTIONS 2016
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National Secretary Treasure Hudson Honored with
"Spirit of Democracy" Award
AFGE National SecretaryTreasurer Eugene Hudson
Jr. was recognized by the
National Coalition on
Black Civic Participation
(NCBCP) with the Labor &
Social Justice Leadership
Award at the 18th Annual
Spirit of Democracy Celebration on October 7.
Since 1976 the NCBCP, a
non-profit, non-partisan
organization, has been
dedicated to increasing
civil engagement and
voter participation to
promote social and economic justice in Black and
underserved communities at the local, state,
national and global levels.
The organization strives
to empower people in all
aspects of public life
through volunteer service, advocacy, and leadership development.
Upon accepting the award,
Hudson said that his career as
a public servant and union
leader can all be traced back
to one core belief in equality
and fairness.
"I try to be fair to everybody,
I believe in treating people
equitably." Hudson said. "I
want to continue to do that
and I want that to be my legacy."
Hudson grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, just as the
Civil Rights movement began
in the segregated South. Hudson said that his parents set a
strong example for how to
treat others. They instilled in
him the belief that you do not
leave your fellow man behind
and that there is an intrinsic
reward to helping others.
"I work to be a strong leader
who advocates for people
whose voices have been si-
lenced," he said. "I'm proud to
serve in an organization as
diverse as AFGE."
ries that drive even when
he's not conducting AFGE
business."
Hudson pointed to the diverse
makeup of the AFGE National
Executive Council as a prime
example of how AFGE calls on
people from all walks of life to
strengthen and lead the labor
movement. Many from the
NEC were present at the reception including National
Vice President for Women and
Fair Practices Augusta Thomas, and National Vice Presidents Dorothy James, Everett
Kelley, Eric Bunn Sr., and Cheryl Eliano.
Hudson is the first African
American to be elected to
the position of AFGE National Secretary-Treasurer.
He was recently reelected
by acclamation during the
40th National Convention.
National President J. David
Cox Sr. offered the following
congratulatory message to
NST Hudson -- "I am so proud
to see Eugene recognized for
his work. He has always been
a strong advocate for our
members and I know he car-
President Barack Obama
sent his well-wishes to all
attendees of the event,
and in a statement, said
that "America moves forward when people across
our Nation -- of all origins,
backgrounds, and beliefs -join in a spirit of common
purpose to brighten our
shared future. As long as
we stay true to that spirit,
I am confident we can
build on the extraordinary
sense of promise that
binds us."
Volume 16, Issue 1
Page 5
Save the Date!
FEBRUARY 23 – 25, 2016
HEALTH & SAFETY
MATTERS!
CALL NOW
To make hotel reservations
Phone: (702) 739-2222
Group Code:
AFGE/NVAC Safety Conference
AFGE/National VA
Council
National Safety &
Health Conference
Tropicana Hotel
3801 S Las Vegas
Boulevard
Las Vegas, Nevada
Joint Master Agreement Training Available
Joint training is an integral part of everything we do and we need your help in this regard. Please go to the
NVAC website (www.afgenvac.org ) and download the forms for Joint Training. To locate the form, scroll to
the title of the “Menu” area (look on the left-hand side of the screen), and click on “Member Training”. The
forms for both Joint Training and Union-only Training are highlighted in red.
Discuss with your Management and HR staff which training is needed; submit the form per instructions on our
website. The more training requests we receive from the field, the more it will demonstrate the importance
we place on training and show the need for management action.
Training Options Offered by the AFGE/NVAC
Each of YOU need to be an advocate
for training at your facility!
instructors can provide guidance to
the students on tactics.
There are two types of training
available through the NVAC. The
first, Joint Training is where both
Labor and Management provide
both instructors and students.
We have been successful in the past
year with training in both methods.
To request training submit the appropriate request form to the National
VA Council office. The forms are located on the NVAC website.
The second type is Union Only Training. If one local makes the request,
the Council will split the cost. If it is
multi-locals (a District or VISN training) that group will pay all travel and
per diem. The advantage is that the
contact Daniel Hines, Director of
Education & Training directly at
(540)
345-6301
or
email:
[email protected].
Appropriate topics for trainings include the Master Agreement, Labor
Management Statute, Bargaining,
Leadership, Communications, and
Partnership. To find out more, please
REFLECTIONS 2016
Page 6
AFGE/National VA Council’s
Regional Training
More than 150 VA employees gathered in New
Orleans to discuss more effective ways to better
serve those who care for our Veterans.
President Alma Lee provides Welcoming Remarks
VA/AFGE Master Agreement Training
Joint Training was provided in New Orleans for
“Train–the-Trainer”
Attendees ~ September 2015
AFGE/NVAC Membership Hits Record High - Again!
AFGE closed the month of
June, 2015 with the highest
membership
record
of
300,000 members! We welcomed 3,801 new members
into the AFGE family last
month.
September closed the month
with the highest membership
record of 111,746 active
members. This was an increase of almost 5,000 members since July!
AFGE/NVAC National President, Alma L. Lee and
AFGE National President, J. David Cox Sr.
Celebrating our growing membership !!
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“Big Enough to Win”
AFGE National President
J. David Cox Sr.
Re-elected as President of the
largest federal Union
“I am honored and humbled by the faith AFGE members have placed in me to continue
the work I began three years ago, leading the nation’s largest union for federal and D.C.
government employees,” Cox said. “Our membership has grown year over year for the
past 24 years, and we are going to keep growing so we are big enough and strong
enough to build the future that our dedicated members deserve.”
AFGE Women's and Fair Practices Departments
Works For You
When opportunity is equal,
everyone wins. That’s why
AFGE is devoted to promoting diversity, inclusion
and fair treatment for all government employees through
its Women’s and Fair Practices Department.
Page 8
The Department works to
develop trainings to help educate union members on
equal pay, paid parental
leave, and bullying. They also
work to engage young and
LGBT workers in the federal
and
D.C.
governments
through its Y.O.U.N.G. workers program and AFGE Pride
Program.
To ensure that all these
workers and more have the
voice to stand up and fight
for fair treatment, the
Women’s and Fair Practices
Department is also in
charge of the Voter Protection Program, a campaign to
ensure that all eligible voters are able to make their
voice heard at the polls.
AFGE/NVAC NEWS
NVAC Welcomes…
AFGE/National VA Council would
like to welcome Daniel Hines as
our new Director of Education &
Training. Daniel served as an Air
Traffic Controller in the U.S Army
for three years before being injured in a training accident.
After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army, he received his bachelors degree in
Business Administration from
American National University
and is currently working on his
Masters Degree in communication at Liberty University.
Daniel has spent the last 8
years focusing on Training and
Development
in
the
healthcare settings as well as
Patient Experience in Hospitals
and Senior Living communities. He currently lives in Salem VA with his wife Sarah and
two children Logan and Lily.
When he is not working Daniel
plays golf and is an avid Virginia Tech fan, attending as many
sporting events as he can. He
can be contacted via email at
[email protected]
or
[email protected]
Denise Russell joins the NVAC
as the AA for the Training &
Education Department. Denise has worked at Wells Fargo
for a total of 10 years, through
several mergers. She has
been married to her husband,
Pastor Steve Russell, for 26
years and they have two sons;
Craig and Cameron, all from
Salem, VA. Denise is currently
pursuing a degree in theology
through Kingsbury Bible College.
** Save The Date **
NVAC 22nd
Triennial Training
Convention
San Jose, CA
More Information
Forthcoming
November, 2016
Page 9
Volume 16, Issue 1
NVAC Officers
M.J. Burke
Oscar L. Williams, Jr.
1st Executive Vice
2nd Executive Vice
President
President
Alma L. Lee
NVAC President
Page 10
Bill Wetmore
Dorothy Jefferson
3rd Executive Vice
NVAC Treasurer
President
District Representatives
Christopher Bovie
Ena Thompson-Judd
Curtis Jackson
Bob Fetzer
1st District
2nd District
3rd District
4th District
Terrence Watts
Willie Haywood
Oscar L. Williams Jr.
Patrick Russell
5th District
6th District
7th District
8th District
Ben Johnson
Donald Fowler
10th District
11th District
Lori Bess
12th District
Barbara Whitson—
Casanova
9th District
Page 11
Jeff Sladek
Bill Preston
Richard A. Colón-Falcón
13th District
14th District
15th District
National Representatives
Charles Smith
Bill Jefferson
Tatishka Musgrove
David Bump
Diane Clines
James Martin
Anthony McCray
Kathleen Pachomski
Victor Ramirez-Rios
Chet Goree
Geneva Moore
Adrienne Woods
Safety Representatives
Irene Coley
Keith Ireland
Louis Curry
Rosetta Sloan
Page 12
Brenda Stromski
Our Future…
Moving forward into the New Year, let us rejoice in the victories we’ve already won while reflecting on the
battles ahead. It is important to understand that every battle has two major fronts. The first battle is “to
secure the initial victory,” while the second is “to maintain that victory” for future generations. I believe
that solidarity and unity of purpose will serve us well in the battles over the course of the next four years.
We have entrenched on Capitol Hill forging new relationships with new VA Committee Chairs and Members. Our Lobbyists are also strengthening our relationships with current political allies in critical battles,
protecting the interests of our VA workforce and our Veterans, whom they serve. Making great inroads towards securing new legislation, technical fixes and enacting new laws with greater transparency and oversight. These strategic efforts demonstrate a team spirit between NVAC leadership, NVAC lobbyists, the Legislative Committee members and our amazing political activists in the field. We look forward to seeing
great things happen this year as a result of all our planning and hard work.
Our website will continue to provide useful and timely information to inform and educate our Bargaining
Unit Members.
We will continue to litigate, litigate, litigate and communicate, communicate, communicate.
On to our future…
Remember — Stronger Together!
The membership continues to be creative with innovative and new ideas to surpass what we have done in
the past. Take pride in your long standing dedication! I would like to take time to applaud you, the Representatives, Local Presidents, Executive Board Members, Stewards, Activists, and current members, whom
without your help, we could not make this happen. Your unselfishness is to be commended in your devotion to our veterans!
For these and the many other accomplishments throughout the year, on behalf of the National VA Council,
I wish to extend to you and your loved ones, the very best for 2016!
Sincerely and in Solidarity,
Alma L. Lee
President
National Veterans Affairs Council, #53
American Federation Government Employees, AFL-CIO
Page 13
Kudos & Congrats!
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Kudos to both Tatishka Musgrove, President, AFGE Local 548
(Bay Pines) and Hattye Knight, VBA HRC Baltimore for receiving the NVAC Service Award for their years of dedicated
training for the Master Agreement.
Congratulations to Adrienne Woods, NVAC
National Representative for receiving The
Mediator Certification in ADR training.
Got News?
Once again, we are making a call for news. Remember, what happens in
the field is what makes us a great union! Share your stories!
Let us know what you are doing to make the VA a world-class place to
work. If you or your Local have had a successful recruiting event, negotiated an agreement to benefit workers, or held a special event of any sort,
etc.; please submit to: [email protected] or [email protected]
* Remember your success will inspire others! *
AFGE/NVAC News
We’re on the
web:
Alma L. Lee, President, NVAC
afgenvac.org
Phone: (540) 345-6301
Brad Looney, Editor
FAX: (540) 224-1931
Page 14
NVAC Meeting Calendar — 2015
January
National Partnership Meeting
Tampa, FL
AFGE Nurse Steering
Committee
Las Vegas, NV
February
Joint Training and Education
Committee Meeting
Tampa, FL
AFGE Legislative & Grassroots
Mobilization Conference
Washington, DC
March
National Quality Council
Salisbury, NC
Joint Semi-Annual Labor
Relations Management
Meeting
Washington, DC
April
Performance Workshop
Houston, TX
May
September
VBA Performance Stds.
Cincinnati, OH
National Quality Council
Washington, DC
EEO Training
Roanoke, VA
Train-the-Trainer
New Orleans, LA
June
VBA Performance Stds.
Washington, DC
October
National Quality Council
Washington, DC
Face-to-Face with Secretary
Bob McDonald
Washington, DC
July
VBA Performance Stds.
Denver, CO
Regional Training
San Antonio, TX
May
New Local President’s Training
Salem, VA
Joint Training and Education
Committee Meeting
Seattle, WA
Page 15
NVAC Training
New Orleans, LA
November
Joint Training and Education
Committee Meeting
Marina del Ray, CA
National Partnership Meeting,
Hartford, CT
National Partnership Council
Boston, MA
Joint Training and Education
Committee Meeting
Boston, MA
August
National Partnership Council
Dallas, TX
VBA Performance Stds.
Washington, DC
AFGE National Convention
Orlando, FL
September
VBA Performance Stds.
St. Paul, MN
Joint Semi-Annual Labor
Relations Management
Meeting
Washington, DC
December
VBA Performance Stds.