The National Security Personnel System, which will cover 650,000 civilian employees, intends to replace the standard 15-grade General System pay schedule with one that rates employee pay on the basis of performance.
The new rules would curtail or even eliminate the bargaining power of unions, making it easier for the Pentagon to hire, promote, and fire employees.
Now, five federal employee unions, foremost of which is the American Federation of Government Employees, will file a lawsuit in federal court, challenging the Pentagon plan.
The unions believe that the new plan will eliminate their ability to engage in collective bargaining, which is a violation of federal law. A similar law suit was brought against Homeland Security and has delayed the implementation of its new workplace plan.
The successful implementation of this plan portends a new workplace environment and rules for all civil service employees. This is all part of the trend of making employees responsible for their own efforts.
