The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

In Washington, it seems like there is a commission for everything. Mostly they produce reports no one reads. But there is one commission that has established a string of permanent accomplishments you can see, touch and feel. It is the American Battle Monuments Commission. This year it celebrates 100 years in business. For a review, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the commission secretary, Charles Djou.

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On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:

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The American Federation of Government Employees took a significant step towards unionizing Defense Department employees in Europe. The union plans to have at least one new organizing body in place by the end of 2023 or early next year. Of about 30,000 Defense Department employees in Europe, AFGE is focusing its initial efforts in Germany around Defense Health Agency (DHA) employees and workers at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), the on-base super stores where service members and DoD employees shop for food, clothes and consumer goods.

AFGE filed a preliminary letter with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FRLA) to trigger an investigation into whether employees at Ramstein AAFES want a union, and if the proposed bargaining unit is correctly described.

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The crazy weather throughout the country seems to be reflected in Congress. On recess, when it returns it will have 12 working days to workout a regular federal budget for 2024. Ain't gonna happen. Joining the Federal Drive to explore the possible consequences, the vice president for policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton.

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The system for declaring disasters and getting federal help dates back a century. For the past 25 years disaster declarations have been on the rise. But according to my next guest, politics, skill at the state and local level, and inconsistency in how federal agencies decide things mean the whole system needs reform. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Brookings Metro fellow Carlos Martin.

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She's a successful State Department negotiator dealing with the United Nations, no less. She's a lifelong athlete, excelling in several sports including rock climbing. And, she conducts her life from a wheelchair. Sofija Korac just received national recognition for work on behalf of people with disabilities.

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The White House Office of the National Cyber Director brings in a former Defense official to help lead workforce and education efforts. Daniel Ragsdale worked in the Pentagon’s research directorate, at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and in the Army. He was most recently in the private sector at Two Six Technologies. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday caught up with Ragsdale this week to talk about his new White House role. 

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Pay compression, it’s a phenomenon that’s been affecting some senior-level federal employees for years. Now, one member of Congress is trying to help adjust pay for those compressed individuals. The new bill comes after months of pressure from senior executive organizations, who want the White House to make good on a promise to at least propose a solution to the pay problem. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.

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Persistence and focus have paid off for one Labor Department policy advisor. His beat for 23 years of federal service has been access for people with disabilities, access to transportation, jobs, and technology at the federal and state levels. For his work he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Supervisory Policy Advisor Michael Reardon.

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