Personnel Issues Find an Audience on Capitol Hill

Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.) said the budget "leaves a lot to be desired" in terms of preparing government agencies for the future. (By Ray Lustig -- The Washington Post)

The civil service system got a little oversight from Congress yesterday, signaling that federal-employee issues may receive more attention as Democrats wrangle with the White House over budget and policy priorities.

The House Armed Services readiness subcommittee debated the new National Security Personnel System that the Pentagon has started rolling out to Defense Department civilians, the first oversight hearing since the NSPS was created in 2003, subcommittee chairman Solomon P. Ortiz (D-Tex.) noted.

But that wasn't all. The House Appropriations financial services and general government subcommittee, a new panel, held a hearing on "issues in the federal workforce."

Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.), the chairman, and other panel members questioned the Bush administration's outsourcing initiative and asked what can be done to improve federal hiring practices. President Bush's budget, Serrano said, "leaves a lot to be desired for preparing government agencies for the future of the federal workforce."

The hearings featured Bush administration officials, labor leaders, outside experts and a few House members who candidly acknowledged that they don't have a handle on federal personnel issues. Union leaders did not miss the opportunity to press their points.

John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, called for a repeal of the new Defense Department personnel system, arguing that the Pentagon went too far in trying to curb collective-bargaining rights. The union has stopped parts of the NSPS through a federal lawsuit, and the case is pending before a U.S. appeals court.

At the appropriations hearing, union representatives said they were concerned that the salaries of many federal employees keep falling behind those in the private sector. Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said the administration's plan to raise federal pay by 3 percent next year was inadequate and recommended a 3.5 percent increase. J. David Cox, the AFGE secretary-treasurer, told the panel that federal workers should get a 4 percent raise next year.

Serrano made no commitments on federal pay but noted that recent raises have lagged behind what a 1990 law required. He joined the union leaders in opposition to outsourcing of federal work and invited suggestions from the unions on how to revamp rules on contracting out.

At the hearing on the new Defense Department civil service system, some House members urged Pentagon and union leaders to "find a way to work together," as Ortiz put it.

The Pentagon got off on the wrong foot with unions at the start of the NSPS four years ago with a plan that unions claimed would gut their rights.

Although Pentagon officials recast the personnel system in response to employee feedback, the AFGE and other unions filed a lawsuit in federal court that blocked changes in labor-management rules. The government employees union has gone on to fault other parts of the NSPS, which has been designed to bring more rigorous standards to how Defense Department employees are paid, promoted and disciplined.

Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.) lamented that the NSPS reflects the "shadow of Donald Rumsfeld" and may be "another failed policy" caused by arrogance at the top of the Pentagon. Employee support for the NSPS is vital, Jones said, adding that "if you can't bring the players together, you can't have a victory."

Michael L. Dominguez, one of the Pentagon's point people on the personnel system, agreed that "we need employee buy-in" but stressed that the first wave of Defense Department civilians to migrate to the new system are excited to be part of an effort that enhances improved communication between employees and their supervisors.

By the end of the month, more than 114,000 Defense Department employees will be covered by the NSPS, he said. "Fundamental organizational and cultural change takes time -- it can't be achieved overnight. We are taking the time to do it right," said Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

Max Stier, president of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, urged the House committee to arrange for regular assessments of the system by an outside evaluator and to obtain other data that would show whether it is helping the Pentagon to compete for top talent and to reward the best workers.

"The key is ongoing oversight," Stier said.