Union Strategy

The union presidents testifying before the NSPS review board began their appearance with a series of sarcastic remarks: John Gage of the American Federation of Government Employees said he was too "stunned" by the (fairly self-critical) comments of the previous panel to speak immediately, and asked if Rick Brown from the National Federation of Federal Employees could speak first. Brown asked if there was vodka in the water pitchers at the witness table, saying he needed a drink. It seemed like an odd way to get started. But Brown's doing something that seems smart in his testimony: he's using the union's objections to NSPS to set some of the terms for NFFE's participation in a debate over government-wide pay reform, saying the union's ongoing conversations with OPM director John Berry about pay reform show a good-faith dedication to fixing flaws in the pay system.

"Just because we favor GS system to NSPS does not mean we are only interested in maintaining the status quo. We are all aware that the GS system has significant flaws, and we are willing to work with Congress and the administration," Brown said. "We are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work to address the problems facing the federal government."

But Brown also suggested that further expansion of NSPS could hurt efforts at government-wide pay reform by increasing mistrust between the parties who will be stakeholders in that effort. There's the stick, of course. Berry's asking the unions a lot in asking them to consider moving away from the GS system. NSPS can be an excuse not to cooperate.