Subject: We are ODAR - ODAR's Vision Plan as provided to Management
Thanks to Miami ODAR AFGE Steward Lorraine Boone
To all AFGE Bargaining Unit Employees in ODAR:
As a follow-up to my June 10th e-mail which reported future initiatives and structural changes for ODAR, we have recently been informed by several management officials who have attended their regional meetings that the following was told to them which confirms the information we have been receiving:
(1) All newly hired decision writers and SCTs will be assigned to centralized units.
(2) There will be no replacement of staffing within a hearing office unless absolutely critical.
(3) Once attrition has reduced the personnel within a hearing office to approximately 50-60% of its original allocated staffing, the employees and ALJs will be co-located with a field office.
(4) Support staff to ALJ ratio of 4.5 to 1 will gradually be reduced to 1.5 to 1.
(5) ODAR intends to open more centralized units within the next 12 months for decision writers and case pullers.
(6) Unless absolutely necessary, there will be no promotional opportunities for support staff within hearing offices.
(7) There will be a substantial reduction of management officials within hearing offices and when relocated to a field office, there may not be an on site ODAR manager, but some type of Area Director.
(8) Finally, it was reported that ODAR believes the centralized units are more efficient and productive.
Management has been told that several of the above items are currently being done and that ODAR’s vision plan will gradually roll out over the next 8-10 years which tends to suggest that in 2025, there will be very few stand-alone hearing offices with more than 4 or 5 ALJs and an equal number of support staff.
In closing, I truly believe you must rally your employees to take a plethora of actions to save their jobs and careers. This union, although we are aggressively attempting to stop or modify ODAR’s vision plan, the train is rolling down the track and is increasing in speed.
James E. Marshall
President, AFGE Council 215