This issue's column will be a bit different. I'm going to be writing about life, death and support.

First, Chapter 49 and the IRS lost a wonderful person in Ray Reitz. Ray passed away while working Flexiplace last week. Ray was always in a good mood despite the adversities he had faced with his health.  Even though he easily could have gone out on disability, he chose not to.  As he once told me, "Duncan, my job is what keeps me from not dwelling on my problems.”  Ray will be missed.

Next, Call Site Manager (and former long time member) Karen Randolph is in the hospital as you read this . On Thursday, March 27th, she was complaining of severe headaches while at lunch.  Her two companions (Rhonda Vickery & Rachel Hunter) took her to a hospital which undoubtedly saved her life. Karen has 5 aneurysms in her brain. 2 have been successfully repaired and the other 3 will be kept under observation. Karen has been my manager for a few years and a friend for several before that. She is one of the classiest, fair-minded people I know. Please include her in your prayers for a full recovery to such a wonderful lady.
 
Lastly, speaking of prayers, I must comment on the war in Iraq. Whether you agree or disagree with the President's actions, I would urge all who read this to keep the men and women of the Military in your thoughts and prayers. These folks had no say in going over to the Middle East but go they have to serve our country. Please pray for their safe return back home to be with their family and friends once more.



Janet Johnson is a Revenue Agent in Muncie.  She has also handled some very difficult cases working for NTEU Chapter 49.  Janet has helped many people.  Now it's our turn to help Janet.  She is currently experiencing a medical emergency.  Janet has been approved to receive annual leave donations to help her out during this trying time.  If you would like to donate some of your annual leave for Janet, ask your manager how to get that done.  Or contact any Chapter 49 steward or officer and we'll get the wheels rolling.  



The White House issued an executive order Friday, March 21st, giving federal employees an extra 1% pay hike in the form of locality pay, and provides for a retroactive payment soon.

It's not known when the back pay will be showing up in our bank accounts.  However, OPM (Office of Personnel Management) is urging agencies to move quickly on this. Here's a passage from a memo issued by Ron Sanders of OPM to agency human resource directors dated March 24th, 2003...

The President's Executive order makes the increases in locality payments effective retroactively to the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2003 (January 12 for most employees).  It is imperative that agency human resources offices process these retroactive adjustments in locality payments expeditiously so that Federal payroll providers can issue payments to employees as soon as possible.

 Meanwhile, OPM has released the new pay tables reflecting locality pay.  Indianapolis and the rest of Indiana (except Merrillville) get a 4.03% raise.  Merrillville is tied to the Chicago-area locality pay, and has a 4.51% raise.  Links to the revised pay schedules are available at…..

The same bunch that created a major disaster during a collection contracting attempt in 1997 and 1998 want to bring back the concept in an even more sinister and dangerous form.

Congressman Amo Houghton of New York (at the behest of the White House) has introduced a bill in the House Ways and Means Subcommittee he chairs to vastly expand the opportunity for private contractors to collect taxes on behalf of the IRS.  Here's what this proposed legislation would do if it becomes law...

--Overturn the rule that tax collection is an inherently governmental function

--Allow contract employees to access confidential tax return information

--Allow the companies to be paid up to 25% of what they collect.

Although those backing this measure claim that Section 1203 and other prohibitions that apply to IRS employees would also apply to the contract workers, it is unclear to us how such prohibitions could be enforced in a contractor work force.  And get this - the government would not be subject to any damages for violations such as unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information by contractor employees - the contractor could be sued.  What would happen if a contractor is unable to pay a judgment?  The legislation has no answer to that question.

Also note that the contractors would be paid a percentage of what they collect under this bill.  Previously, Congress sent a clear message that IRS collection employees should not be evaluated based on the amount of money collected.  Yet this bill allows contractors to be paid that way.  We view that as a recipe for disaster, with the Service's image potentially being tarnished by overly-aggressive collection actions by people working for contractors, not the IRS.

Now, you ask, what can I do?  Plenty.  Our Chapter 49 Web site at www.nteu49.org has links to Web sites for all Indiana members of Congress and our two Indiana Senators.  If you feel strongly about this issue, e-mail or write an old fashioned letter to your elected representatives.  Those representing you in Washington will not know your views unless you tell them.       


As part of the development of a Revenue Officer, they have always had higher graded cases assigned to them.   Management has been directed to be cautious of not allowing more than 25% of the employee’s inventory to be these higher graded cases, because if the employee’s inventory consists of over 25% higher graded cases, then the employee is entitled to higher graded pay for the period of time the employee worked these cases.  

The dilemma management found themselves in was that they had too many grade 12 cases and not enough Grade 12 RO’s to work them.  So they just assigned them to the Grade 11 and Grade 9 RO’s.  To add insult to injury, management then went into the Grade 12 cases and downgraded them to the grade of the RO’s working the case.  And bingo – no more problems about RO’s working higher graded duties and the threat of having to pay them for it.

NTEU is again trying to right this wrong.  Management has always expected employees to do the work assigned to them.  But management doesn’t want to pay more to get more.  They simply want more work for less money.   NTEU is addressing that very issue through this mass grievance.





As the debate rages over whether to accelerate contracting government employee work to the private sector, a situation raging at IRS is worth consideration.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) took over the background investigations for IRS employees.  Then NTEU was made aware of several situations where these contract employees were peppering IRS workers with irrelevant and unnecessary questions.  Even IRS management admits the questions were way out of line.  If you experience questioning that you believe is out of line by a person conducting a background investigation, let a Chapter 49 steward know immediately.  For more details, go to our Internet Web site at www.nteu49.org.



Chapter 49 President Duncan Giles recently saved money by calling Liberty Mutual Insurance and getting a quote.  All NTEU members are entitled to a 10% discount.  Wherever you live in Indiana, you can be hooked-up with a Liberty agent in your area.  Contact Larry Yates at 317-595-8925.