AFGE Contract 2009
AFGE and SSA have a Contract, please see "Contract Final" Tab for details
AFGE/SSA has filed with the FLRA Impasse Panel click here for information
April 6, 2011 Rally Information click here
March 2, 2011 Rally Information click here
Contract Headline News:
Contract Update: 05/01/2012
The Union and SSA have signed off on articles. The "Ratificaton" process begins.
For details click on "Contract Final" .
Contract Update: 01/19/2012
AFGE TAKES CONTRACT DISPUTES TO THE FSIP
Late last year, in reaction to the lack of progress in national contract negotiations, AFGE referred the bargaining to the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP).
This was not done lightly. But, after nearly 2 years of negotiations between AFGE and SSA, agreement had been reached on only 10 (minor) articles out of 53. Major issues--such as employee rights, hours of work, flextime, leave, appraisals, awards, merit promotions, health and safety, EEO rights and appeals and union official time—have all been blocked by Commissioner Astrue’s representatives at the bargaining table. After watching management attempts, since 2009, to reduce employee rights and to block improvements, the union had had enough, and moved these disputes to the next step.
The FSIP
The Federal Service Impasses Panel is a body that is part of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and that was created by law in 1978. Congress at that time prohibited federal employees from striking; and so it set up a group of officers, a panel—appointed by the President—to resolve bargaining disputes in the federal sector.
What’s Next?
The FSIP has a wide range of methods to use to resolve disputes. Due to the large number of impassed issues in the AFGE/SSA bargaining, the FSIP is sending the two sides back to the table for a fixed period of intensive negotiations, with the help of a federal mediator. After this bargaining, a report will be made to the Panel, which will then determine what steps will be taken next.
Solidarity Now
AFGE will release information about this process as changes happen and the process develops. We are entering a crucial phase of the negotiations, and we urge the SSA employees whom AFGE represents, and who stand to gain or to lose from the results of our bargaining, to stay informed on what is happening and on what you can do to help. Remember, we are all in this together, and, together, we can do it!
Contract Update 08/04/2011.....In recent months, the agency urged AFGE to agree to use small teams of management and union negotiators to address a variety of unresolved issues, so that we could narrow our differences and make progress in contract bargain-ing. Initially we had success, reaching agreement on almost eve-rything in Article 33 (Temporary, Probationary, Part-Time Perma-nent and Seasonal Employees) through this small team approach.
However, progress came to a screeching halt in July when man-agement walked away from a joint effort to reach agreement on a set of AFGE-proposed appendices to the Official Travel Article (Article 8).
Contract Update 06/15/2011.....Your contract negotiators apologize for the delay in issuing this update. During our three-week session in April, we were also engaged in mobilizing employees in our Locals and Councils to speak out publically about the damage that would result from a government shutdown. Thanks to your par-ticipation in rallies around the Country, we were able to avert a shutdown, at least for now. Some of our leaders were also finaliz-ing an agreement with the Agency to charter Labor-Management Forums, and Forum meetings have now begun. During the two-week session June 1-9 we have been fight-ing back against White House and Congres-sional proposals that would address budget deficit and debt concerns by unfairly cutting our pay, benefits, and retirement.
Budget Update 02/18/2011.....Union leaders are calling on Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue to provide vital information as SSA employees face an impending furlough and Government shutdown. For more details, click on this letter...
Furlough Update 02/18/2011..... Witold Skwierczynski, President of the AFGE National Council of SSA Field Operations Employees and AFGE Council 220, has issued a statement regarding possible furloughs. This information is very important and should be read very carefully...
Contract Update 02/14/2011.....Today the House Leadership released its budget for the remainder of FY 2011. According to the House Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee, passage of this Republican proposal would result in a month of furloughts between now and 09/30/2011.
Contract Negotiations Update 02/08/2011.... A federal mediator will continue to help with contract negotiations when talks between AFGE and Social Security Administration resume February 23, 2011.
Contract Update 02/04/2011....."Union's letter to President Obama" Recently, a number of Unions-including- AFGE-signed a letter to President Obama urging him to reject several recommendations made by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Among those suggestions: cutting federal civilian retirement and health benefits, freezing federal pay and reducing the federal workforce by ten percent.
Contract Negotiations Update 01/26/2011..... With the assistance of a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, AFGE and SSA agreed to finalize 12 articles. Some include minor changes, and some will be reimplemented without any changes. The articles agreed to are as follows.
Signed Documents.....Attached are the signed documents from the bargaining completed this week in contract negotiations. The attachment includes the offer sheet indicating the articles and the changes we agreed to make in them as well as the signed sidebar for ODAR and the signed MOU on lactation for nursing mothers.
Contract Negotiations Update 11/18/2010..... During the most recent contract negotiation session between AFGE and the Social Security Administration (November 15-19), both sides addressed the issue of child care. The Union has proposed that lactating women be allowed to express milk on duty time in a private, clean space and that SSA insure appropriate electrical outlets and access to refrigeration.
Contract Update 11/18/2010.....As negotiations continue between AFGE and the Social Security Administration, the Union has told management that it strongly opposes an agency proposal that would seriously limit the area of consideration from promotions.
Contract Update 11/02/2010.....Contract negotiations between AFGE and the Social Security Administration have resumed, with Union officials still working very hard to make significant changes to Article 21 (which deals with performance issues).
Contract Proposals
The numbering system used on the Union's articles does not line- up directly with management's numbering system. Look for titles of articles in order to do a side by side comparison.
Chief Negotiator Witold Skwierczynski's analysis of contract proposals
Get Informed
All Bargaining Unit members have the right to:
Negotiations between AFGE and the Social Security Administration over a new National Agreement have begun. Opening
statements were given by each side; labor and management then met daily
in groups to discuss key articles of the contract.
The parties exchanged proposals in late December and are scheduled to proceed through at least July 2010.
This will be a very long process, and input from the bargaining unit is vital. Our Union leaders cannot do this alone. They will need your ideas and suggestions during every step of negotiations.
Please take a few minutes and review this website. If you have any comments when you’re finished, there is an e-mail address to contact us.
Thank you for wanting to make Social Security a much better place to work!