POBOX 9998

Continental Airlines adds fee for legroom

GREGG CARLSTROM — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:28:00 +0000

On top of flight change fees, checked baggage fees, and fees for food and drink, Continental Airlines has added a new surcharge for passengers: the extra legroom fee.

Survey: Detroit has best large airport

Federal Times — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Detroit's airport is the best large airport in the nation, according to a new survey from JD Power and Associates, and Indianapolis has the best small airport.

Short-staffed agency overseeing high-speed-rail effort draws fire

MATT KELLEY — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:28:00 +0000

The federal agency in charge of $8 billion in economic stimulus spending on high-speed-rail projects doesn't have the staff or expertise to properly oversee the money, government investigators and congressional critics say.

The fight to reduce employee grievances

STEPHEN LOSEY — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:53:00 +0000

As labor and management leaders begin setting up "partnership" councils through which they'll work together to solve workplace problems, one nagging question remains: How to measure if their partnerships are working.

VA to automate its Agent Orange claims process

GREGG ZOROYA — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:28:00 +0000

The Veterans Affairs Department plans to announce today that it will fully automate how it pays claims for illnesses related to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange to keep an overburdened system from collapse.

VA to automate Agent Orange claims process

GREGG ZOROYA — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:23:00 +0000

WASHINGTON , The Veterans Affairs Department plans to announce Tuesday that it will fully automate how it pays claims for illnesses related to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange to keep an overburdened system from collapse.

Recovery funds help outfit buildings with energy-efficient roofs

TIM KAUFFMAN — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:18:00 +0000

When the roof of the Robert J. Dole U.S. Courthouse in Kansas City, Kan., began leaking last summer, it couldn't have come at a better time.

Postal Service to cut Saturday service?

Will — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:37:21 +0000

US Postmaster General John Potter last week recommended that the Postal Service eliminate Saturday delivery in order to help stanch the multi-billion dollar bleeding that the USPS has been experiencing for nearly half a decade.

The reason? In addition to frustrating the very customers that the USPS is supposed to be serving, the USPS’ junk mail-centric business model isn’t very profitable. At all. They lost nearly $300 million in the last three months of 2009 alone, following several years of billion dollar losses.

By all accounts this news is a strong signal that the USPS is finally coming to terms with the way Americans communicate in the 21st Century. We’re hoping that part of that awakening includes an understanding that in the 21st Century, Americans expect to have a choice in what they are or are not receiving.

Apparently one of the reforms currently being bandied about is the creation of “a world-class website” for the USPS. Our hope is that they’ll seize this opportunity to use that website to run a free, comprehensive, and enforceable Do Not Mail Registry for all Americans to use. The USPS could generate revenue both by selling lists of people who want to receive direct mail to businesses, and also by fining business that violate the registry.

The USPS needs money, and American citizens demand choice. Win-win. Oh, and disrespectful junk mailers lose. So win-win-lose.

Education benefits a win-win for employees, agencies

CHRISTY HARRIS — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:58:00 +0000

Alitza Vega, a human resources specialist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has made the most of her education benefits.

Continuing education required in many careers

CHRISTY HARRIS — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:53:00 +0000

For many professionals, education never ends.

Online courses becoming a standard way to train employees

CHRISTY HARRIS — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Distance learning is no longer the wave of the future. The growth of enrollment in online courses continues to outpace that of higher education overall.

Satellite network easing distance learning among agencies

CHRISTY HARRIS — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:48:00 +0000

When most people think of distance learning, they think of Internet-based classes, but many agencies also use a satellite network to train their employees.

Agencies paying more incentives, despite sluggish economy

STEPHEN LOSEY — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:28:00 +0000

The federal government paid federal employees more than a quarter-billion dollars in recruitment, retention and relocation incentives in 2008 , a 37 percent increase over the previous year.

Will Postal Service bosses go undercover in the future?

RARC host — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:02 +0000

“Undercover Boss,” a CBS show that began airing in February, follows Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) as they go undercover to work primarily in lower-level positions in their own companies. Beyond its entertainment value, the episodes have exposed a significant disconnect between senior management and employees. While featured CEO’s have not recently, if ever, worked [...]

How agencies will shrink their carbon footprints

TIM KAUFFMAN — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0000

The federal government's carbon footprint is big: 51.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. That's roughly twice the size of Walmart's carbon footprint and about one-ninth that of California.

Retired Army major general is Obama’s 2nd pick to lead TSA

GREGG CARLSTROM — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0000

President Obama will nominate Robert Harding, a retired Army major general, to take over the top job at the Transportation Security Administration, the White House announced this afternoon.

Analysis: Postal rescue plan faces impossible odds

GREGG CARLSTROM — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:08:00 +0000

The U.S. Postal Service is officially in a panic.

Federal pay a hot political topic

STEPHEN LOSEY — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:08:00 +0000

Political pressure on federal pay levels is mounting at a time when many Americans are unemployed or underemployed.

Editorial: A pay gap we can believe in

Federal Times — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Almost everyone agrees there is a gap between federal and private sector wages. But agreement stops over who that gap favors.

News briefs

Federal Times — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:23:00 +0000

About 2,000 Transportation Department employees will not be reimbursed for their two-day furloughs after being caught in a congressional dispute over spending last week.