The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is a biennial bill that among other things, establishes policy for USACE. Because of this, it is a relevant way for USACE workers to influence USACE personnel policy.
A right of employees under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS), codified at 5 U.S.C. 7102, is to "to present the views of the labor organization to ... the Congress..." IFPTE ACE Council locals utilized this right to present the issue of remote operations of USACE locks and dams to many members of Congress. Since this work occurred prior to any actual bill language being proposed by a member of Congress, it is considered "advocacy" as opposed to "lobbying." U.S. Representative Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) submitted IFPTE-drafted language, and it was incorporated into the House WRDA bill as Section 1149. This language was included in the conference bill agreed to by the House and Senate; and the conference bill was passed by Congress on December 18th. This language protects the jobs of USACE lock and dam operators in the future with respect to automation of the facilities. It does not prohibit USACE from installing the technical upgrades, but they must meet certain criteria and justify the action. It further would require a public process that "includes engagement with ... personnel" which will give the employees a chance to voice their opinions.
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In recent years, Army Corps leaders have begun championing the promise of remotely operated waterway infrastructure. The ACE Council has been fighting throughout for greater transparency and accountability when it comes to this ill-conceived plan. In a truly promising development, the following has appeared in this year’s Senate Appropriations bill. Remote Lock Operations Transparency. —The Committee recognizes the need for more communication and guidance regarding the Corps’ implementation of remote lock and dam operations on the inland and intracoastal waterways. The Committee encourages the Corps to engage in active and ongoing communication with the stakeholders in the navigation industry, including the Inland Waterways Users Board, during the conduct of regional assessments related to the implementation of remote lock and dam operations. The Corps is prohibited from using any funds for this effort or related efforts until the Committee is provided with the National assessment completed on lock and dam remote operations and a stakeholder engagement plan. There’s more to be done to get this in the final Senate/House Appropriations bill, but this is a big step in protecting these jobs from being automated away. A lot of effort went into this from many ACE Council locals getting meetings with congressional staffers, sending people to Capitol Hill for IFPTE’s Legislative Week, the IFPTE ACE Council setting up meetings, and IFPTE President Matt Biggs, IFPTE Legislative Director Faraz Khan, and USACE Lock and Dam operator Mike Arendt (SAM) all spent many hours advocating for this language in an effort to protect these jobs.
IFPTE recently held our annual Legislative Week in Washington, DC, and we (as your fellow USACE employees) took to the halls of Congress to advocate for your interests. IFPTE local leaders representing USACE employees met with Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA), Rep. Frank Mrvan (IN), and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI). We also met with the staff members for Sen. Laphonza Butler (CA), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Sen. Tom Carper (DE), Sen. Ed Markey (MA), Sen. Alex Padilla (CA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI), Sen. Ron Wyden (OR), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY), Rep. Sam Graves (MO), Rep. Jared Huffman (CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA), Rep. Mike Quigley (IL), Rep. Chris Smith (NJ), Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY), and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Our advocacy covered issues such as increasing Federal-worker pay (which has not kept up with inflation), eliminating FERS tiers (which force Federal employees hired after 2013 to pay extra, with no additional benefits), protecting against arbitrary restrictions on telework, and protecting the jobs of USACE lock operators and park rangers, among other issues. If you’d like to learn more about the union’s efforts to advocate on behalf of your interests with USACE, the Administration, and/or Congress (or if you’d like to share your own ideas on how we can advocate most effectively), contact your local union rep. |
The ACE AdvocateA publication of the IFPTE ACE Council. Managing Editor, John Berens. Content by the ACE Council Communications Committee. Archives
January 2025
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The ACE Council represents the interests of more than 4,000 federal employees working at district and division offices, and business centers and laboratories of the US Army Corps of Engineers across the country.
All references to the Army Corps of Engineers or other agencies of the Department of Defense and the federal government are for identification purposes only. |