are labor unions based on socialism?

[Ken King]

Also interesting that members of this "union" have absolutely NO say or sway over whether this can be accomplished.

I think you are confused, being identified as being in the bargaining unit does not make you a union member.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Don't know. Apparently, it is a different pay structure that allows personnel to earn more and get bonused more based on performance. I guess the "union" will not allow them to switch to this 'better' pay system because their job code is "protected" under the union. In order to switch, they would need to change job codes and thus, change their job entirely.

Don't believe what he told you. It's based on where you work as much as your job code. It's STRL btw.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

To clarify.. and according to my friend.

It is STRL that they want to transfer to. (NOT STLR) Also, apparently, there are over 20 job titles within the subset that are identical to GS grade. Only 2 of those can be transferred to STRL. The other 20+ are reserved for GS-only as per "the union." ???
Also, apparently, this is only applicable to east coast personnel. Out west, they can have their job code transferred to STRL. This is all because of the "union" for which they do not pay dues, can go to meetings, and have no vote

It was the union members freakout over the previous version, NSPS, that prevented them from being included in it and therefore the current version, STRL. NSPS was great, but they pretty much ruined it and replaced with STRL. Now probably 90% of the ratings given are a 3 of 5 to make it easier. Anything other than a 3 requires a fair bit of work for the supervisor and the pay pool. They also took the yearly cost of living out of it therefore making each share worth less, so really it's not worth the effort.

The employee has to write a self assessment, goals etc and justify their rating. Most people in GS and WG positions want no part of that.

If it helps understand I got a 4 last ratings cycle and as a GS-14 equivalent my bonus was something like $1200. Also every time I have received a 4 I was bluntly told that I can't be who gets the 4 next year.

 

[OccamsRazor]

The employee has to write a self assessment, goals etc and justify their rating. Most people in GS and WG positions want no part of that.

If it helps understand I got a 4 last ratings cycle and as a GS-14 equivalent my bonus was something like $1200. Also every time I have received a 4 I was bluntly told that I can't be who gets the 4 next year.

Showed this to my PAX friend and this is what they said...

"As a GS employee, we also have to do self assessments, write-ups, and list goals for the next evaluation period. Its called DPMAP. Even with a rating of 4, you get around $1200 bonus which is laughable at around 1-2% of salary. Also, I don't know which STRL system you fall under but, people I know who have gotten 1.5-2 share payouts are getting $2000-2500 bonuses. The important part is that each bonus increases pay scale and that is important."

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Showed this to my PAX friend and this is what they said...

"As a GS employee, we also have to do self assessments, write-ups, and list goals for the next evaluation period. Its called DPMAP. Even with a rating of 4, you get around $1200 bonus which is laughable at around 1-2% of salary. Also, I don't know which STRL system you fall under but, people I know who have gotten 1.5-2 share payouts are getting $2000-2500 bonuses. The important part is that each bonus increases pay scale and that is important."

They are incorrect, no such thing as a half share.

Shares are a percentage, as a GS-14 last year a share was worth $2287 and that gets split between salary and bonus. The salary portion is the equivalent of the step a GS gets.

Since last year wasn't my turn I got 1 share roughly $1600 to pay increase and a wopping $690 bonus.

The good thing is it's every year vs the later steps that only come every three years under the GS system.

A few years ago I got three shares worth $5583 total.

Oh and if you have been promoted in the last year you get nothing.

The split is 2/3 goes to salary and 1/3 to bonus if you get one share, if you get two shares you get 1/3 to salary and 2/3 to bonus so that getting an extra share only increases your bonus payout. This is BS. In the end they turned it into everyone basically gets the same thing they would have under GS and it turned it into a big goat rope that did nothing but increase the number of managers.

DP Map is fairly new, it's also the kids version.

It isn't as great as your friend believes it is. NSPS was far better.

 

[OccamsRazor]

They are incorrect, no such thing as a half share.

That was my mistake. Should have been 1-2 shares.

Shares are a percentage, as a GS-14 last year a share was worth $2287 and that gets split between salary and bonus. The salary portion is the equivalent of the step a GS gets.

Since last year wasn't my turn I got 1 share roughly $1600 to pay increase and a wopping $690 bonus.

The good thing is it's every year vs the later steps that only come every three years under the GS system.

A few years ago I got three shares worth $5583 total.

This is what he was saying. You get a salary increase AND bonus each year. Under his system, he gets about the same salary increase every 3 years. Although not as good as NSPS, the STRL system is significantly better than the GS system. AND... your high 3 upon retirement looks a LOT better.

DP Map is fairly new, it's also the kids version.

Exactly. This guy is a go-getter and is tired of being on the "kid's version" of a rewards system.
Seriously, if it came around to bonus time and my company tried giving me 1% of my salary as a bonus... I would laugh in their face

 

[PeoplesElbow]

That was my mistake. Should have been 1-2 shares.

This is what he was saying. You get a salary increase AND bonus each year. Under his system, he gets about the same salary increase every 3 years. Although not as good as NSPS, the STRL system is significantly better than the GS system. AND... your high 3 upon retirement looks a LOT better.

Exactly. This guy is a go-getter and is tired of being on the "kid's version" of a rewards system.
Seriously, if it came around to bonus time and my company tried giving me 1% of my salary as a bonus... I would laugh in their face

You saw my bonus was less than $700? 1% would be great. My point is that the maximum pay is the same, and on average it will take the same amount of time to go from GS-X step 1 pay to step 10 pay equivalent. Won't do anything for high 3.

If he is a go getter then he will get promoted out of a GS job if he wants to be, all supervisors are under STRL as far as I know.

 

[OccamsRazor]

You saw my bonus was less than $700? 1% would be great.

That is what he gets as a "bonus." Difference is, he didn't get a $1600 salary bump (minimum). If my math is correct, he got a $1300 salary increase (flat).
Even at a minimum, still $300 more in salary bump. Can go higher if your bonus is higher. No such thing for him.
Like I said, this is all second hand info so I am not saying all of this is 100% accurate.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

That is what he gets as a "bonus." Difference is, he didn't get a $1600 salary bump (minimum). If my math is correct, he got a $1300 salary increase (flat).
Even at a minimum, still $300 more in salary bump. Can go higher if your bonus is higher. No such thing for him.
Like I said, this is all second hand info so I am not saying all of this is 100% accurate.

There are those "in charge" that were able to stay under the GS system, that should tell you something.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I actually made a spread sheet tracking how much better off I was under NSPS/STRL starting in 2008. I stopped updating it in 2020.

At one point after just a few years of NSPS I was 9.5k ahead, but with STRL and maxing out the pay band it crept back down to a low of 3k. In 2018 I got a promotion that ended up putting me just a small bit ahead of where I would have ended up anyways, couple that with the voluntary rule of "no shares in a year you get promoted no matter what rating you get" and I am only a bit ahead of where I would be anyway.

Oh btw if your supervisor decides you make enough anyway they can give you 0 shares no matter your rating. I forgot one year I got a single share because "you make more than I do, I figure you make enough".

In the end it really is a lot of extra work for the small amount it changed.

Anyway back to work for me tomorrow, been out with COVID.