GFT filed representatives have been meeting with both Republican and Democrat Senators over the last couple of weeks to discuss the ongoing practice by the administration to indefinitely detail employees to promotional positions without additional pay instead of providing employees with legitimate promotional opportunities.
Over the last four years, hundreds of law enforcement employees, Firefighters, and others have been assigned to work at positions above the pay grade they hold. These are often our best and brightest of employees. This practice is referred to as “detail assignment” and responsive laws and rules provide for differential pay when these assignments run longer than 30 days. Unfortunately, no pay differential has been provided to hundreds of employees over the last four years! 
It seems our government has found that the practice of detailing employees is cheaper than the competitive promotional process provided for by the merit system, particularly when employees are denied their associated pay. We are now dealing with a very large group of disgruntled employees that believe they are rightfully entitled by law to these wages and can no longer trust their own government. Furthermore, many of these employees are the same essential employees that worked during the PCOR1 without proper compensation.
Schemes like this designed to cheat employees out wages are unacceptable and when it is our government doing this, it is a matter of considerable concern. It appears our government has betrayed public trust and failed to uphold the oath of office.
GFT is now calling on our elected officials to immediately pass laws that will get these essential employees paid the wages due to them and further, to put incentives in place to motivate government officials to abide by the law in the future. Detail assignments must not continue to replace the merit system.
For more information contact Robert E. Koss, Field Service Representative for the GFT at 735-4390 or email rkoss@gftunion.com.