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Legislative Action Center
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November 2, 2009 -
Last week, President Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. While a full repeal of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) dominated headlines, one largely underreported aspect of the bill – and arguably one of the most important for federal employees throughout the civil service – was a provision extending credit for accrued sick leave to federal workers enrolled in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS).
October 28, 2009 -
Washington, D.C. – Today, President Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. Included in the bill was a provision to repeal the controversial National Security Personnel System (NSPS). The bill also contained several provisions impacting retirement benefits for the federal workforce.
October 7, 2009 - Today, in a news release issued by the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member John McCain announced the contents of the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act conference report. The report contained several key provisions impacting the federal workforce. The highlight of the report, and a great development for federal workers, is language that would repeal the controversial National Security Personnel System (NSPS).
On Sept. 16, Senator Baucus (D-MT), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released a deeply flawed health care reform bill that fails to meet the most basic promise of health care reform, and threatens to shift more costs to employees represented by labor unions.
July 21, 2009 - The IAM today pledged to continue fighting for additional funding for F-22 Raptor aircraft, despite a vote in the U.S. Senate to end production at the 187 jets currently on order.
BOSTON — Vice President Joe Biden and other top Obama administration officials have canceled plans to attend a United States Conference of Mayors meeting this weekend in Providence, R.I., because local firefighters will picket the event over a contract dispute.
June 11, 2009 - A combined effort by the IAM Transportation and Legislative Departments and the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department (TTD) helped ensure passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reauthorization bill that contains important security protections for Machinists union members.
June 11, 2009 - Funding to “jump start” high-speed rail networks across the country could come as early as late summer, according to Vice President Joe Biden.
On the heels of an overwhelming vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide uniform organizing rights for workers in the package delivery industry, FedEx this week announced a multi-million dollar campaign to preserve current language that has allowed FedEx to stifle organizing drives for more than a decade.
May 28, 2009 - The Senate recently confirmed Linda Puchala as a member of the three-person National Mediation Board (NMB) and Randy Babbitt as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
May 28, 2009 - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the FAA Reauthorization Bill containing many of the major provisions the Machinists union has spearhead in recent years.
May 19, 2009 - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), signed into law on February 17, 2009, contains a number of important provisions that affect railroad retirement annuitants and railroad workers.
May 19, 2009 - The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense recently released new details concerning the highly controversial National Security Personnel System (NSPS).
April 7, 2009 - IAM leaders promptly denounced this week’s decision by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to end funding for the F-22, the next-generation fighter aircraft that would have assured U.S. air superiority for years to come.
April 7, 2009 - On the heels of this week’s historic unemployment numbers, the IAM is calling for immediate aid to the nation’s gasping manufacturing sector.
April 7, 2009 - A trio of U.S. Senators recently announced legislation to support the development of specialized workforce training programs in order to grow America’s industries and workforce.
April 2, 2009 - A trio of well-known corporations are trying to derail the Employee Free Choice Act with their own watered down version of labor “reform.” The CEOs of Starbucks, Costco and Whole Foods are shopping the halls of Capitol Hill with a bill they claim is a “fair compromise” to the Employee Free Choice Act.
April 2, 2009 - President Obama has nominated former pilot union leader and current aviation consultant Randy Babbitt is expected to head the Federal Aviation Administration.
March 24, 2009 - The IAM is urging Department of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to set rules regarding the use of bailout dollars and how they are to be used by the banking industry.
March 24, 2009 - Amtrak announced it will make the second installment of back pay to eligible employees on May 1, 2009.
March 19, 2009 - President Obama is moving swiftly to restructure key government agencies once dominated by anti-union appointees from the Bush Administration.
February 10, 2009 - President Obama must certify continual production of the F-22A Raptor fighter aircraft by March 1 as required by the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act.
February 6, 2009 - Last week, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (S. 354), a bill that would amend the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide all federal employees with four weeks of paid parental leave when caring for a newly born or adopted child.
October 1, 2008 - After months of intense lobbying by the Machinists Union and pressure from Congressional leaders, the National Mediation Board (NMB) rescinded its proposal to make it more difficult for unionized airline workers to retain union protection when merging with unrepresented carriers.