Last week, President John Gage of the American Federation of Government Employees said the union still believes the Pentagon’s new National Security Personnel System limits collective bargaining rights. Government Executive reports that Gage said that the final regulations the Defense Department has instituted over the past six or seven months were among some “we feel Congress has taken away from them.” He added, “Our position has hardened on NSPS.” The 2008 defense authorization act required DOD to make the NSPS pay-for-performance system consistent with then current labor requirements. (DOD published the NSPS final rules in late September.) The union has not settled on its latest strategy but, according to Government Executive, is considering a new lawsuit, seeking further Congressional action, or possibly enlisting the aid of the Obama Administration, since, before the November election, President-elect Barack Obama expressed concern with a possible disconnect “between pay and performance despite what employees have been told.”
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
