Peace Corps Employees Union AFSCME Local 3548
AFSCME Local 3548
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Union Communication Corner

Stay update and review past events, forms, and changes.

CBA Negotiations #7

7/17/2023

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CBA Negotiations Updates

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What's New: Guest SPC Speakers

What’s the SPC and why does it matter? Many of the items listed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) surround policies and rules. We were encountering roadblocks as to what the Senior Policy Committee (SPC), the team responsible for updating policies and rules in the Peace Corps Manual, would be willing to reevaluate. In short, we needed to know what was their process for reviewing policies. So, HR invited SPC representatives to our last negotiation meeting this week to provide some clarity.

What was discussed? David van Hoogstraten and Megan Kunkle of the General Counsel shared who’s who on the SPC, what they do, and how they do it. Did you know that ideas for changes come from all parts of the agency to the SPC, which is housed in the Office of General Counsel? The SPC also includes representatives from offices that work directly on policy--including HR, health services, and the ICDEIA offices--and the agency’s associate directors. And that’s about as far as we got. Unfortunately, agency-wide tech issues prevented the discussion from continuing but we look forward to having David and Megan come back.
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Reminder how CBA Negotiations Unlock Agency Protocols

Why is this important? In addition to ensuring equity and respect for all bargaining unit employees, volunteering for the Union has many perks and insights to offer and let’s us see what’s behind the green curtain (and if you don’t get that reference, it’s from the classic movie, the Wizard of Oz, when *spoiler alert* Dorothy pulls back the curtain to reveal an everyday Oz citizen operating the switchboard to create a projected and all-encompassing wizard.)

The impact: Understanding and breaking down the process for reviewing, updating, and approving policies and rules that affect how we work helps us become stronger advocates. The more people who are informed, the more protected everyone becomes. We hope you agree and will consider joining the Union and the CBA Negotiations Team. 
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Union Benefit: Union Membership Gives Free Access to Basic Legal Benefits 
If you find yourself in need of legal representation or have a legal question, union membership offers a free initial 30-minute consultation and 25% discount off attorney’s hourly or flat rate fees. AFSCME has over 6,800 participating law firms. Register at this link to get emailed instructions on how to access a lawyer through the referral website.
We invite you to join the Peace Corps Union and learn about the benefits of becoming a member:
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CBA Negotiations update #6

6/20/2023

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What's New: Article 5 and How CBA Supersedes Any Conflicting Supervisor Instructions
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What does that mean? It’s easy to get lost in the legalese jargon, but this means that if you discover your supervisor has given you instructions that are in conflict with your CBA rights, your supervisor will need to amend their instructions. The CBA supersedes any conflicting instructions from your supervisor or the Agency.
 
What can you do? Become familiar with the CBA, and if you don’t have time for that, at least familiarize yourself with the article titles so you know what’s covered. But not all titles are an accurate summary of the agreements listed. This particular important piece of info can be found in Article 5: Rules and Regulations.

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Articles and Musical Chairs

Why is this important? Again, the CBA hasn’t been updated in over 40 years, and, as the previous update notes, not all titles are representative of what’s included in the article. And sometimes, those agreements belong in a different article all together.

What’s next: As with every part of the negotiations, both parties--the Union and Management-- must agree if an item will be moved and under which article it will be housed. Sounds obvious and simple, but both sides need to be diligent that the item is moved and not dropped.
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Come Visit the Union Table at the Resource Fair!

On Tuesday, June 20, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET, stop by the Union table at the Agency Resource Fair! This is an in-person event at our HQ Office and a great opportunity to meet your Union reps. Come with your questions and leave with some swag! A video will be shared after the event for those unable to join in person.  
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Did You Know? You Can Nominate a Friend for the AFSCME Never Quit Service Award!

Do you know a co-worker who goes the extra step in their work to help and serve others? Nominate them for AFSCME’s Never Quit Service Award! AFSCME believes that every person working to sustain their community deserves respect.
AFSCME members negotiate for better pay and benefits because fighting for every member’s future is a form of respect. Read more about the award at the link above.
We invite you to join the Peace Corps Union and learn about the benefits of becoming a member:
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CBA Negotiations Update #5 from the Union

5/18/2023

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CBA Negotiations Updates

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CBA Working and Negotiation Dates
Why does this matter? While management has staff whose official duties encompass CBA negotiations, those of us representing the Union, do not. In an attempt to find workload balance, the Union asked Management to meet every other week for Negotiations, using the time in between to work on proposals and amendments to existing articles in the CBA.
What can you do? It’s a great time to join the Negotiations Team and help us balance the workload even more! We could use your support and expertise! The more representation we have, the better our representation of everyone’s needs will be. Here’s the quick survey to join the CBA Union Negotiations Team.
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Plain Language and the CBA
What’s plain language?  The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires all federal agencies to write "clear government communication that the public can understand and use." And that includes CBAs.
Why does it matter?  One of our research sleuths discovered that plain language discourages the use of Latin abbreviations. So forget the “i.e’s” and “e.g.’s” and just say what you mean so future generations will not have to guess at your intent or misuse of these abbreviations! And out they went from our CBA. Want to learn more? Visit https://www.plainlanguage.gov/
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Union Benefit: Save 5-30% on Concerts and Events
What this means: It’s always a good idea to become familiar with your Employee Personal Page (EPP) to make sure the data is reflected accurately, Heading to New York with plans to see a show on Broadway? You can save up to 30% on tickets. Maybe you prefer sporting events? You can save 10% on tickets. Still not your thing? Save 20% on tickets to the Gazillion Bubble Show!! Find out more by heading to the Union Benefits Page.
We invite you to join the Peace Corps Union and learn about the benefits of becoming a member:
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CBA Negotiations Update #4 from the Union

5/11/2023

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Priority for Both Parties: Identities

Why does this matter? That’s probably a given, but it’s heartening to see both Management and the Union agreeing that employees should be identified by how they want to be identified.

What can you do? You can probably guess that this wasn’t a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement back in the 80s. Want to ensure protections exist for all employees? Consider joining the CBA Union Negotiations Team!
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Demographics Info

What’s tracked?  It’s interesting to learn what can and cannot be shared with Union leaders. The Union is not privy to agency demographic data on race and ethnicity, gender, and age.

Why is this concerning?  It’s a matter of transparency and one we hope Peace Corps may consider offering again. “Again”, you ask? Not too long ago, we had a diversity dashboard to track Peace Corps’ success in recruiting Volunteers and staff from diverse backgrounds. Staff shortages placed the dashboard project on hold.
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Your Employee Personal Page (EPP)
 
What this means: It’s always a good idea to become familiar with your Employee Personal Page (EPP) to make sure the data is reflected accurately, including information related to how you identify.
 
The impact: While you’re visiting your EPP, make sure dates and leave categories are accurately captured as well. This can impact your retirement and leave balances.
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Union Benefit: Save Up to 35% When You Rent a Car

If you need a car for your next trip (maybe something you have planned for the summer) your AFSCME (or Union) card, can save you money at six car rental companies.
We invite you to join the Peace Corps Union and learn about the benefits of becoming a member:
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CBA Negotiations Update

5/8/2023

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Revisited: Details for Union Representatives

Why does this matter? Management may need to detail an employee to a special assignment. If that employee is a union representative and is involved in an ongoing representational activity, then there are steps all parties need to comply with to ensure representation in the open case continues.

What does this mean for you? In our review of union rights, we’re making sure additional consideration is given to employees who take on added responsibilities as union representatives while ensuring employee representation continues as well.
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NEO: Union Presentation

What do you remember? We’re taking a closer look at the New Employee Orientation (NEO) and want to ask new employees what was your biggest takeaway from the Union presentation at NEO? Please send your responses to union@peacecorps.gov
 
Why is this important: We thought this would be a good time to do a check-in with bargaining unit employees and their impression of the Union presentation at NEO.
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Resource Hub for Federal Laws: Cornell Law

How did this come up? Lots has changed since the late 80s when the CBA was last updated, including how we conduct research. To read federal laws that were once only available to legal counsel, simply type in the law reference number in a browser.

Results: Most “.gov” sites are solid sources, but so is Cornell Law, which is a legal repository for federal statutes.
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Union Member Benefit: 30% off Bouquets for Mother’s Day

AFSCME Perk: An online flower shop is offering discounts in time for Mother’s Day. A “Full of Love” bouquet that’s normally $45, is available for dues paying members for $31.50. Union membership has many perks and returns, please consider joining today!  
We invite you to join the Peace Corps Union and learn about the benefits of becoming a member:

Join 
Member Benefits
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Meet the New Executive Board and Fall Updates

11/2/2021

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Meet the new Executive Board

Thanks to all who participated in our recent election! To learn more about the members of our new Executive Board and Steward Team, visit the Our Team page on the website.
President: Genevieve Locksley                                       Vice President: Mike Black​
Secretary: Ashley Acosta-Fox                                         Treasurer: Joshua Castro
Events Coordinator: Josephine McGugan                     Membership Coordinator: Sakeena Ali
Chief Steward: Mathew Crichton

Union Volunteer Day/End of Year Leave

To encourage Bargaining Unit Members to take advantage of the 52 hours of leave available through the Employee Volunteer Program, we hosted 28 members for our first Volunteer Day on 10/19! Volunteers distributed food, transcribed documents for the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, and captioned educational video content.
 
Reminder: Make sure to check your annual leave accrual, because any annual leave in excess of 240 hours will be lost at the end of the year.
 
While we encourage all employees to take the time off that they have earned, if you have excess leave that will be lost, you can show solidarity towards your fellow workers by donating a few hours through the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program.

JLMC Meeting Notes

The Joint Labor Management Committee convened on 10/5 for our quarterly meeting. These meetings provide an opportunity for the union to raise concerns and improve communication with HR and agency leadership. We discussed issues around:
  • merit selection,
  • whistleblower protection and protected union activities,
  • delayed promotions,
  • telework and other policies.
We welcome your input for future topics to cover in these quarterly meetings.
Past JLMC meeting notes
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Advocating For a Fair Telework Policy + New Stewards

7/27/2021

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Advocating For a Fair Telework Policy

​We here at the Union hope you are all enjoying your summer! As Peace Corps enters Phase 2 of Peace Corps Everlasting and begins to prepare for a new normal, one of our top priorities as a Union and as an organization must be to ensure a flexible and fair telework policy for all. So many of us have gone above and beyond with our work during the pandemic – and we simply cannot just go back to the way things were before.
 
Our recent telework survey led to a number of recommendations regarding the future of telework, which we have presented to management – you can review them here (also attached).  
 
We look forward to continuing to represent your voices in this important conversation. If you want to share your views with us, please reach out. 

New Union Stewards

​Over the past few weeks, the Union has added a number of new stewards to its ranks. Stewards represent and advocate for you as a member of the bargaining unit, and are your first point of contact for any concerns you have regarding your rights or your treatment on the job. The newest stewards are:
  • Ryan Haefke
  • Ryan Stannard
  • Joshua Castro
  • Sakeena Ali
  • Josephine Pacheco
 
Stay tuned, as in the coming weeks we’ll be assigning stewards to each office to be your personal point of contact. Feel free to reach out to the new stewards or to the rest of the union team with any questions or issues. 

Joint Labor-Management Committee Meetin

The Union Executive Board meets with the organization’s OHR leadership quarterly to discuss issues relevant to Peace Corps employees. We were joined by Chief of Staff Dave Noble at the last meeting. The minutes from the latest JLMC meeting on 6/29 are here.
 
Topics covered include:
  • Telework policy updates & survey results
  • Return to office planning
  • Notification process for department/office restructuring

Visit From Council 20

​Samantha Reisher, organizer for Council 20 (our DC-area parent union) joined us at our union office hours on 7/8 to discuss ways she and Council 20 can support our efforts to advocate for employees here at Peace Corps. You can review the notes from our conversation here. 

Union Weekly Lunch Meetings

​The Union holds weekly lunch meetings on Tuesdays over Zoom. Want to attend? 
Email Us
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Join Us & Get Involved!

6/29/2021

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Good afternoon, bargaining-unit employees! We’re coming to you after this afternoon’s quarterly meeting with HR leadership – which we spent advocating for safety and transparency as the organization plans our return to the office, as well as for your right to telework flexibility based on the results of the recent survey so many of you completed.
 
All of us who are involved with the union’s work have full-time jobs here at Peace Corps – we are recruiters, placement officers, IT staff, administrative specialists, and so much more – and our strength as a union is directly tied to the participation of our members. Which is why we want to take this opportunity to invite you to join us in our efforts to ensure that all Peace Corps employees receive fair treatment and to make our voices heard!
 
How can you get involved?
  • Volunteer your time and energy by attending our weekly meetings, joining our working groups, and helping plan events.
  • Step up and become a dues-paying member, providing support for the advocacy and organization work done by our regional council and AFSCME international (our parent union), as well as funding the activities of our local union here at Peace Corps.
  • Become a union steward to represent and advocate for your fellow Peace Corps employees.*
  • Serve in a union executive board role after elections this September.*
*Dues-paying status is required to serve in union positions per the union constitution
 
Want to learn more, or have questions we can answer?
  • Feel free to drop into our weekly Zoom office hours each Thursday at 12:00pm ET to talk with active union members (calendar invite attached).
  • Or come attend our weekly meetings on Zoom each Tuesday at 12:00pm ET – new agenda items are always welcome (calendar invite attached)!
  • Are you ready to jump in? Or would you prefer to email us your questions? Reach out to our inbox here. 
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Your Right to Representation

4/20/2021

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Hi all! We wanted to build on the message Employee-Labor Relations helpfully emailed to us all on 4/1, and remind everyone that you have a right to have union representation at any interview or meeting that you believe could lead to disciplinary action against you.
 
You can always reach out to the Union and we will have a steward get in touch with you as soon as possible.
 
We’ve included a useful Weingarten reference here – feel free to save or print it out!

Joint Labor-Management Committee Meeting

The Union Executive Board meets with the organization’s OHR leadership quarterly to discuss issues relevant to Peace Corps employees. The minutes from the latest JLMC meeting on 4/12 are here.
 
Topics covered include:
  • Telework policy updates
  • Domestic deployment of PCVs, and the participation of Peace Corps staff
  • Facilitated discussions and letters of counseling for resolving worker-manager issues

May Day Event

​Join the Union for an informal lunch event in honor of May Day and in celebration of the 8 hour workday. We will take a guided tour through the history and current practice of Unions and Labor Laws in the US and some of our Peace Corps Countries.
Save the date: April 30 from 12-1pm Eastern Time. Invitation to follow.

Union Weekly Lunch Meetings

​The Union holds weekly lunch meetings on Tuesdays over Zoom. Want to attend? 
Email Us
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A Union Win + Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine

3/16/2021

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Union Win for Placement Office

As we pass the one-year mark since the global evacuation of Peace Corps Volunteers, we also keep in mind all of the amazing work Peace Corps employees have been doing from their homes during this time.
 
Recently, we were able to support the placement team in ensuring they had the technology resources they need to do their jobs from home. The Union raised employee concerns with management, and as a result all placement team members will be receiving organization-provided cell phones to facilitate their work.
 
If we might be able to help advocate for you or your colleagues, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at union@peacecorps.gov. 

Administrative Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination​

As noted in HR’s March 2021 email sent out on 3/11, you are eligible to request administrative leave to get vaccinated during working hours:
Peace Corps U.S. Direct Hire employees can use up to four hours of administrative leave per dose – for a total of eight hours of administrative leave for two Covid-19 vaccinations. 
Note that advance approval is required. You should reach out to HR or your supervisor with any specific questions you might have.

Women’s History Month Union Event Serie

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​Every Monday in March, the Union has been hosting a powerful series of webinars focused on women in leadership, particularly in a Union context. The final event will take place next Monday, 3/22 at 12:00pm EST. If you don’t already have the invitation or if you have any questions, reach out to us. Bring a friend to the discussion!

Union Weekly Lunch Meetings

The Union holds weekly lunch meetings on Tuesdays over Zoom. Want to attend?
Email Us

Contact The Union

Concerned your rights may have been violated or have a question about what your rights are? Reach out to a Union steward at the below link, or join us during our Thursday office hours (12:00-1:00pm EST)!
Contact Us

Dues-Paying Member

​Want to become a dues-paying Union member? Fill out the form linked below!
Join Us
Please ensure your Union activities take place during non-duty hours, such as before or after work or during lunch.
​See Article 6 and 22 in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. 
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