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    Working together to make a difference

    INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES

    06.04.2021

    Story by Christopher Allbright 

    Defense Finance and Accounting Service

    As sites across the Defense Finance and Accounting Service look toward the post-pandemic period, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union and a council of peer representatives have been working closely with management to ensure workers are informed, and their interests are protected.

    "We learned over the course of the pandemic that once transparency and cooperation were present, it was easier to communicate so employees could understand what was happening and why," said Ed Abounader, the president of the DFAS-wide AFGE council as well as the president of his local DFAS Rome chapter. "We developed a system of talking regularly with senior leadership, and that communication has been a positive coming out of this situation."

    The DFAS AFGE national council represents the majority of the DFAS workforce, about 9,000 of the approximately 11,000 DFAS employees. A representative council of the five larger sites – Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Limestone, and Rome – regularly meet to discuss workplace-related issues.

    Nationally, the AFGE is the largest federal employee union representing about 700,000 federal and government workers nationwide and overseas, according to the AFGE website.

    Over the past several years, Abounader said the DFAS union council and management developed a solid working relationship. When the pandemic began impacting DFAS employees, representatives at the sites were involved and informed each step of the way.

    Abounader described DFAS senior leadership as "very receptive to listening and making adjustments" to the union's input on issues that impact employees.

    "We don't have an adversarial relationship with management as some other DoD agencies may have, because we work on issues with management. It's what we do together that makes a difference, and that relationship allows great employees to do great work," Abounader said.

    The union tries to "solve issues before they become monumental," Abounader said. "We work with management on issues that impact employees ahead of time so we can impart that information to employees."

    As DFAS works on future projects, Abounader said, the union works "to help employees better understand the bigger picture of why some of the initiatives happening are taking place. We have an exceptional workforce, and once they understand what is going on and roles they play, then they want to do the best job for the agency and its customers," Abounader said. "Therefore, the more information we can give employees the better even in a virtual environment. Information is good for everyone."

    Pandemic tests relationship

    As DFAS moved through early 2020, it became increasingly obvious that working at the sites was becoming a high-risk situation for employees. Leadership was already looking at moving to maximum telework in February, so everything was in place when the time came in mid-March.

    Abounader said that discussions with leadership members were "always about the health and safety of the employees, which has been evident as management has looked at telework options and ways to mitigate risk to employees."

    "When it became apparent that the coronavirus would affect the sites, we partnered with senior leadership to develop the best possible course of action for the mission and the employees," Abounader said. "We were on the cutting edge as far as trying to do the best possible thing for employees, and we were getting the word out about best possible options for our employees while continuing to do the necessary work to maintain the mission."

    Abounader said that management was sensitive to employees' circumstances, and they seemed to be working through the available channels, applicable regulations, and relief packages to help. "What we tried to emphasize during this time was whatever programs or policies that would help employees, such as federal assistance or time off for COVID-related reasons," Abounader said. "We had transparency throughout. Whatever management knew, employees knew, which meant some of the fears people had were dealt with or set aside."

    Throughout the entire period, the productivity remained strong, and "there was no turn-down, or degradation, in the DFAS ability to do its job for its customers," Abounader said.

    "When our folks saw other people who lost their jobs, couldn't pay their rent, or had to go on food lines, our employees were able to maintain themselves and their families and still do their jobs. You can't say enough about management when it came to allowing employees to work from home. It speaks volumes to their caring and compassion."

    Over the past 15 months, Abounader said employees expressed a variety of concerns about workplace safety, telework issues, wearing face coverings, and finally, vaccinations. In typical times, union representatives at the sites handle workplace-related complaints. It seemed to Abounader that the number of interpersonal problems and employee friction points was down because people mainly were teleworking. According to Abounader, during that time, the union has been involved with issues such as compliance with teleworking policies and ensuring supervisors are accommodating employees so that workers could continue their mission.

    Cooperation continues as conditions change

    Now, as DFAS prepares its plans to return to the work sites, Abounader is again working with senior management on getting the word out about the importance of vaccinations.

    Throughout 2021, information has gone out to employees through various channels about vaccination availability. Nationally, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data tracker at the beginning of June, about 52 percent of adults have been fully vaccinated, and about 63 percent of adults have had at least one dose.

    At DFAS, the numbers of vaccinated employees are higher than the national averages. According to A.J. Jones, the DFAS safety and occupational health manager, about 57 percent of employees – or 6,051 of 10,717 – are reporting as "fully vaccinated," with another 9 percent -- or 979 people – having at least the initial dose. Exact figures may not be known because it is voluntary for employees to report their vaccination status to their supervisors.

    "Management and labor are on the same page as to not bringing back employees prematurely unless the workplace is a safe and secure environment," Abounader said. "As things developed, we were able to explain the conditions, which was instrumental in setting aside some fears."

    Whenever employees return to the sites, management and the labor union will continue to practice those lessons learned and strengthen relationships they have built.

    "The values of having transparency, sharing information, developing cooperation are things that will continue," Abounader said. "We have a system with HR and management in which we talk regularly, and we can impart that to the employees. There's no downside to this."

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.04.2021
    Date Posted: 12.28.2021 15:35
    Story ID: 411984
    Location: INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US

    Web Views: 35
    Downloads: 0

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