The Department of Defense (DoD) has delayed the transfer of 1,200 IT employees that was set to take place in September of 2019 as labor unions raised their concerns about the move.
While DoD still intends to consolidate IT network and services across “fourth estate” agencies into the Defense Information Services Agency (DISA), it has said it will consult with labor unions at the department-level before finalizing the details of that plan.
Last month, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the DoD on behalf of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) alleging the department did not notify AFGE of the plan to consolidate under DISA. Such a plan would have a circumstantial impact on the employees being transferred. DCMA first received transfer notices on April 12 of this year.
“DoD is committed to respecting the rights of its employees to organize and bargain collectively, and it is committed to consulting with its national labor unions over substantive changes in conditions of employment,” DoD spokesperson Elissa Smith said.
The spokesperson also said that there was not going to be any civilian transfers occurring in FY19 and intends to engage with the 12 national unions over the course of the next 30 days.
“DoD civilian employees are essential enablers of our mission capabilities and operational readiness—we cannot fight without them,” the spokesperson said.
