NTEU Chapter 296
National Park Service
  • Monthly Chapter Meeting - March 13, 2024
    Updated On: Mar 12, 2024

    The Next Monthly Chapter Meeting will be on March 13, 2024

    When:    Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Noon Eastern Time 

    Where:   Using Teams from Your Computer or Home/Work Phone

    Call-in:   We will use TEAMS for this meeting.  Be sure to disconnect from VPN mode.  Then click on the link below.  See below for information on the call-in telephone option.  If you are unable to join the TEAMS meeting at Noon Eastern Time, don't worry, we will provide meeting notes.  Assuming that you are successful in joining the meeting, to avoid too much clutter on our screens, please turn off your camera.  Also please mute your microphone/telephone (if it is not muted already) unless you are speaking.  Please make use of the chat function.

    Microsoft Teams meeting
    Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

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    Meeting ID: 211 765 369 355 Passcode: btdEE7

    Download Teams | Join on the web

    Or call in (audio only)

    +1 202-640-1187,,264607161#

      United States, Washington DC

    Phone Conference ID: 264 607 161#

    What's On the Agenda: 

    *   FY 2024 Funding Update – A Brief Report and Discussion of the Consequences 
    *   Union Legislative Efforts – A Brief Description of What We Are Doing for You 
    *   Proposed Telework Changes and the CBA – Which Prevails? 
    *  Remote Work Issues – What the Union Wants to Know 
    *   Negotiating Our Next Contract -- A Status Report 
    *   Reorganizations and Consolidations – The Union Role and What is Going On 
    *.  Psychological Safety Standdown – Next Steps and How the Union Can Help 
    *   Conference Participation – Update and Effect on Performance Plans 
    *   Issues From Meeting Attendees -- What Do You Want to Know About/Talk About? 
    *   Emergency Notification Systems – A Cautionary Tale 
    *  Staff Departures - 'Park Flight' – What Do They Indicate? 
    *   Union Helps Employees Recover Annual Leave 
    *   Recent Chapter Activities for WASO Staff – A Brief Description 
    *   Spring Training Union Style – What Does That Mean? 
    *   Actions That Benefit Both You and the Union. 
    *   Union Chapter Elections – Coming Up Soon 
    *   Other Topics 
    *   Issues From Meeting Attendees -- What Do You Want to Know About/Talk About? 

    At the mid-point of the Union's brown lunch and learn meeting, we will ask for your issues, concerns or suggestions that are not covered by the agenda.  

    Union members in NPS-WASO have access to speak with our talented NTEU labor lawyers.  Daniel Lechner, located in DC, (Daniel.Lechner@nteu.org) and Arathi Premkumar, located in Colorado (Arathi.Premkumar@nteu.org) - are available to advise you.  Daniel Lechner is planning to attend the meeting.

    Since we last met, your Chapter 296 leaders have been busy on your behalf.  We have learned a lot.  We have represented your interests in several settings, and we have a lot to report to you on a wide range of issues.  This is true every month.  The Union always learns something during our monthly Labor Management Relations Committee (LMRC) meetings made possible by our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Many of the lunch and learn topics benefit from the LMRC meeting.

    FY 2024 Funding Update – A Brief Report and Discussion of the Consequences – We now have a full year FY 2024 Appropriations Act.  What is in it for us?  What are the next steps?  We will provide a summary explanation during the meeting.   

    Union Legislative Efforts – A Brief Description of What We Are Doing for You -- The Union works on Capitol Hill all year long on behalf of Federal employee.  The Union fights for legislation that benefits Federal employees and against proposed legislation that would harm Federal Employees.  This is an especially busy time of the year.  We will describe what the Union did on your behalf during NTEU's recent legislative conference.

    Proposed Telework Changes and the CBA – Which Prevails? -- In recent weeks, there have been some changes in telework policy that are contrary to the language in our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  More proposals are on their way.  How will they apply to you, if at all?  We will let you know what this means to you as a WASO staff person.

    Remote Work Issues – What the Union Wants to Know – Recently, the Union has heard a lot of stories about potential post pandemic changes to the remote work system.  At the meeting, we will discuss what we have heard, what we have learned officially, and what more we are trying to find out about.

    Negotiating Our Next Contract - A Brief Description of the Status -- The Union and NPS Management are negotiating to update and consolidate the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) for all of the NTEU Chapters in NPS.  This consolidation of CBAs does not mean that the Chapters will be consolidated.  At the Lunch and Learn meeting, we will explain where we are in the process, what happens next, and who can participate in this process and how.  We will also explain why the CBA matters to you.

    Reorganizations and Consolidations – The Union Role and What is Going On -- We will explain how the system is supposed to work whenever Management proposes a change to your working environment.  We will use some recent examples to describe actions that have worked well and those that are missing or need some improvement.

    Psychological Safety Standdown – Next Steps and How the Union Can Help -- At the meeting, we will lead a discussion on our experiences with step one of the Psychological Standdown process.  We will also describe the Union's role in the process in future stand downs.

    Conference Participation – Effect on Performance Evaluations -- The NPS Comptroller has recently issued a directive restricting participation in conferences – effective immediately.  We will describe what we have learned about this and point out the potential consequences for your Performance Plan and Appraisal.

    Emergency Notification Systems – A Cautionary Tale -- Recently, there were minor fires at the Main Interior Building during which the emergency notification system did not function the way most employees would have liked.  We will describe the situation so that you can determine if you need to check into the system at your facility.

    Staff Departures - 'Park Flight - What Do They Indicate? -- There have been multiple instances recently in which numerous employees in a single office have left NPS WASO.  At the meeting, we will talk about how the Union has raised this issue with Congressional staff and NTEU National leadership.

    Union Helps Employees Recover Annual Leave -- Several months ago, multiple employees were improperly charged annual leave for what should have been official time.  The Union got their leave back.  We will describe the situation.

    Recent Chapter Activities for WASO Staff -- At every monthly meeting, we share with you a brief report on the kinds of activities the Union has undertaken on your behalf.  We will not name names or specific offices. We believe that a number of WASO staff are unaware of the kinds of things that the Union does.  

    Spring Training Union Style -- What Does That Mean? – Every year, the national union provides free training to union chapter officers and stewards. We will describe how this works and why this is good time to become a steward.

    Actions That Benefit Both You and the Union -- At the meeting, we will describe what you can do to simultaneously help yourself and the Union.

    Union Chapter Elections – Coming Up Soon -- We will describe how the process works, who can run for office, and who can vote.  Nominations are due by Friday, March 22.

    Other Topics -- If there is time, we discuss additional issues or anything else you want to raise.

    All WASO staff members are welcome!  Please join us.  Enjoy lunch with your co-workers while you learn the latest news from Chapter 296.


  • CBA 2017

    2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement

    Our next Monthly Chapter Meeting Lunch:

    March 13, 2024

    Noon

    Via Microsoft Teams
    (Generally it's the 3rd Wednesday of the month) 

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