OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Col. Michael Manion, 55th Wing commander, met with representatives from the 55th Force Support Squadron’s civilian personnel section and the American Federation of Government Employees Local Chapter 1486 president, to sign a new collective bargaining agreement on March 7 at 55th Wing headquarters on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
The new additions to the CBA include the Employee Assistance Program, Defense Performance Management Appraisal Program, Employees' Compensation Operations and Management Portal Program and granting the union the right to meet with new employees in their work area for a new employee orientation.
Other items from previous CBAs were opened and had some minor language adjustment or modification to address past labor issues. Altogether, 26 of the 41 articles of the current CBA were being negotiated.
“Because of the good relationship, both sides approached negotiations through Interest-Based Bargaining, which is a joint effort approach to address the interests of both management and the union,” said Shay Caris, 55th FSS Civilian Personnel Flight Labor Relations officer. “Both parties were able to reach an agreement over the course of just four days, and the agreement can be re-opened every three years for negotiating.”
The previous CBA took several years to negotiate and has been in place since February 2015.
“The negotiations went extremely well,” said Timothy Slobodnik, 55th Civil Engineer Squadron and AFGE Local Chapter 1486 president. “Both parties arrived at the negotiation table with a priority to work together, we addressed each other's concerns and remained open to a common goal to ensure employees and management can work together to achieve the mission.”
Now that both parties have agreed and signed the new CBA, it will be sent to the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service for approval before it can be communicated to the workforce and implemented.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement covers specific civilian employees who are employed at Offutt. This would include employees within the 55th Medical Group, 55th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 55th CE employees, child development center employees, those employed in the 55th Contracting Squadron, 55th Aircraft Maintenance Group, 55th Security Forces Squadron, 557th Weather Wing and other smaller units around the base.
“The new CBAs main focus is to develop a work environment that is professional, progressive, respectful and intended to develop equality for all employees,” Slobodnik said. “The CBA establishes a written agreement to which management and employees can refer to and which allows both parties to collectively work together under unified language to achieve the specific mission for each squadron stationed at Offutt.”
The opportunity to join the AFGE Local 1486 is available to any civilian employee at Offutt that receives an annual Weingarten notice or whose personnel position is coded AF2416. Employees within the federal government are not required to join a labor organization in order to be covered by the CBA.
To become part of the union, employees can contact any of the representatives listed on the union roster sheets that are posted around Offutt. Employees can contact the local office at 402-294-8447, or call Timothy Slobodnik, AFGE Local 1486 president, at 402-212-4002 or by email at timothy.slobodnik@us.af.mil.
For more information about Offutt AFB and AFGE Local 1486 Collective Bargaining Agreement, call
Shay Caris at 402-232-8127 or Timothy Slobodnik at 402-212-4002.