Lawsuit Updates
What is happening with the case?
- Judge Illston had requested copies of the RIF plans from the Agencies who were party to the suit. However the 9th circuit court of appeals granted the admin an emergency stay. What that translates to is that the admin can move forward with planned RIF procedures without divulging plans to the court or the public at least for now.
- Additionally, the Trump admin filed to have the lawsuit dismissed but when asked to submit evidence requested a stay till Aug 1. Things are still developing.
- The case will continue on, but we will have to see what Judge Illston and the lawyers decide to pursue next. The case could be dismissed by a higher court or it could continue on. It may depend on when RIFs are conducted by the agencies who are part of the case and what actions they take to RIF employees. We will keep you informed as soon as we hear more information.
Budget Updates
The House was discussing more definitive spending bills this past week however Speaker Johnson decided to call for their August recess about 2 weeks early. This means that the House will not be back in session until September. It is possible that they will continue informal discussions during the break, but no formal legislation will be put forth until September (at least by the House). As a reminder, the Fiscal Year ends October 1st, so this gives congress a short runway to discuss the budget before a potential government shutdown.
Remote Employee Updates
SpaceMatch Updates:
- We reached out to the Peace Corps SpaceMatch team to discuss our concerns regarding SpaceMatch. They unfortunately cannot provide a letter saying it’s ok for BUEs to contact potential spaces due to contracting regulations. However, they did encourage people to send point of contact information to the Peace Corps SpaceMatch email if you know someone within an agency who can help you secure a space.
- There are a number of challenges related to clearance levels, contracting and limited space for their own employees which is preventing many agencies from participating in SpaceMatch fully.
- The team is hopeful that it will get a bit better as time goes on but wanted to be honest that there are a LOT of hurdles before they can get an MOU signed.
- We had recently heard a number of concerns from BUEs about when they would be notified about moving back and what their official last day might be if they are separated for not returning to DC. Please note that the agency will likely be sending out a notice at the start of September that you should consider moving back to DC ahead of the Oct 31st deadline. However, the agency plans to keep searching for SpaceMatch spaces beyond that date.
- The agency also informed us that they are putting together individualized packets of information for affected employees regarding the amount of moving assistance that will be provided and formal notice of what the process would look like.
- We are still working with the agency to gather more information but nothing is set in stone yet.
Mid Year Performance / Performance Awards
Mid Year Performance:
Mid Year Performance reviews are being conducted in August! Please be sure to document your work--especially any major changes in your workload to discuss with your manager. We highly recommend you document your accomplishments throughout the year so you can have something to fall back on when discussing your performance with your manager. If you have any questions about Mid Year Performance, or would like support from the Union, please feel free to reach out to the email inbox!
Awards:
We have spoken with HR continuously about awards since the hiring freeze prevents the agency form offering promotions to other positions. They have assured us that while there likely will not be monetary awards this year, they are looking to offer time off awards if possible. We hope to provide more news on awards in the near future!
Mid Year Performance reviews are being conducted in August! Please be sure to document your work--especially any major changes in your workload to discuss with your manager. We highly recommend you document your accomplishments throughout the year so you can have something to fall back on when discussing your performance with your manager. If you have any questions about Mid Year Performance, or would like support from the Union, please feel free to reach out to the email inbox!
Awards:
We have spoken with HR continuously about awards since the hiring freeze prevents the agency form offering promotions to other positions. They have assured us that while there likely will not be monetary awards this year, they are looking to offer time off awards if possible. We hope to provide more news on awards in the near future!
Union Board Elections
When will more details come out?
- We will provide more details about the election no later than mid August.
- Please keep in mind that to run for a position you must be a Dues Paying Member for 1 year.
- To vote in the election, you must be a dues paying member.
- If you are interested in being a steward, that is voted on by the stewards, not in the general election.
- If you would like more details on positions, please check out our Constitution - Peace Corps Employees Union AFSCME Local 3548
Union Day with The Washington Commanders
 | On Sept 7th, the Union will be attending the Union Day Game hosted by the Washington Commanders! We would love to see you there and encourage you to come to the tailgate even if you are not a big sports person. To purchase tickets to the game, please click here: https://pa.exchange/marketplace/44382836-4ba6-11f0-b1cb-8557144cc6fc/storefront/44382b10-4ba6-11f0-9d6d-27e8a80deaa1 If you are interested in helping out at the tailgate or would like more details about the event, please email the Peace Corps Union inbox and let us know! |
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