**Office of Human Resources Management and Labor Relations**

***CO Human Resources Employee Relations***

***Executive Resources Marketing and Veterans Outreach***

***Worklife and Benefits Compensation and Classification***

***Oversight and Effectiveness Recruitment and Placement Policy***

***Labor Management Relations Human Resources Development***

***Workforce Planning Workforce Information Systems Team***

**[Employee Programs and Services:]{.underline}** 500 special
contribution awards were processed. ***(Mike Watson)***

**[FIPS 201 Implementation:]{.underline}** A draft directive is being
reviewed by team members for final comment before being entered into
EDMS for the formal concurrence process. A pilot is in the planning
stages for VACO. ***(Mike Watson)***

**[Training:]{.underline}** HPDM was rolled out to 006 supervisors on
September 13 and 15. Mukta Sain assisted in the development of this
seminar and handled logistics for the two sessions. ***(Mike Watson)***

**[Staffing Operations]{.underline}:** Sixteen VACO hires were processed
on September 19. Eight announcements were posted last week. ***(Mike
Watson)***

**[Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Supplemental Dental
and Vision Coverage Insurance:]{.underline}** The FEHB Program was
expected to offer supplemental dental and vision insurance to Federal
employees beginning July 2006. Under the Federal Employees Dental and
Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004, Public Law 108-496, the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM) was authorized to contract with qualified
companies to provide the supplemental coverage. Currently, there are
some FEHB plans that provide a degree of dental and vision coverage,
which they can continue to offer under the new legislation. Employees
may also choose to obtain the supplemental coverage as well. However,
OPM has just announced that the dental and vision benefits will be
launched next autumn and coincide with the November-December open season
for FEHB and flexible spending accounts. Employees are expected to pay
the full cost of this insurance. ***(Maxcine Sterling)***

**[On-sight Review/Details:]{.underline}** Kent Cseplo and Tonya Battle
are conducting an on-site review at VAMC Milwaukee the week of Sept
19^th^. This is one of the scheduled reviews for FY 05.  Kimberly Hughes
began her PMF detail at Office of Management and Budget. ***(Carol
Mellen)***

**[UAN Contract Training:]{.underline}** A two day joint training
session was held September 15 and 16 in Atlanta, GA, providing training
in the new National contract. This covers Registered Nurses represented
by the United American Nurses (UAN) union.  The UAN is a new
consolidated union made up of approximately 6500 Registered Nurses at 21
field facilities.  Formerly these Nurses were represented by individual
state affiliates of the American Nurses Association.  John Haltigan
worked with Meghan Flanz in General Counsel and Bonnie Kerber in VHA, to
prepare the training session. Anitra Jones and Carol Cavendish of LMR
helped with all of the administrative and logistics issues. The training
was successful and very well received by the approximately 80 attendees
representing both management and the UAN. ***(Ron Cowles)***

**[Scorecard Meeting:]{.underline}** On Tuesday, September 20, 2005, a
meeting with OPM Human Capital Officer for National Security
successfully concluded on a positive note. OPM approved three more
categories; succession strategies, under representation, and
accountability as satisfying OPM requirements to progress toward "green"
in the Strategic Management of Human Capital. The final step will be
OMB's concurrence. If they approve, then VA will only have three more
categories to fulfill (performance appraisals, skill gaps, and hiring
timelines reduced) to obtain a Green score for status on the Scorecard.
***(Workforce and Succession Planning)***

**[Training Session:]{.underline}** On Friday, September 16, Doug
Katcher participated in an EEO Conference at the VAMC Coatesville. He
was asked to make a presentation on basic labor relations, which
included a discussion of the right of a bargaining unit employee to have
a union representative during EEO settlement discussions and mediation
sessions. The participants asked numerous questions and seemed to
appreciate the information. ***(Ron Cowles)***

**[Suitability Adjudication Training:]{.underline}** The 3rd and final
session for this Recruitment and Placement Policy Service's (RAPPS)
sponsored training occurred last week in Vancouver, Washington. The
class was a full 3 day session for 28 employees representing VHA, VBA
and the Austin Automation Center. The session was provided by USDA, but
also included a segment presented by Caren Eirkson, RAPPS, Robert
Hairston, Employee Relations Service and a representative from OPM.
Participants rated the session as outstanding. Popular demand for the
class indicates that RAPPS will sponsor the training again in FY 06.
***(Barbara Panther)***

**[Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments:]{.underline}** The VSIP
request for the VA Salt Lake City HCS (19 buyouts) was approved by OPM
on 9/12. The following requests went to OPM on 9/15: VA Central
California HCS (6 VSIPs), VA Palo Alto HCS (99 VSIPs), VAMC Cincinnati
(96 VSIPs) and VAMC Chillicothe (11 VSIPs). The VSIP request for VA
Maryland HCS (3 VSIPs) went to (05/006) on 09/19. ***(Barbara
Panther)***