Merit Promotion - Settlement of SCD-Civ versus SCD-RIF Issue

SETTLEMENT
On
SCD-Civ versus SCD-RIF Issue

1. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 214 and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), hereafter referred to as the Union and Management, hereby enter into this settlement regarding the use of SCD-CIV versus SCD-RIF in merit promotion as it applies to bargaining unit members covered by the Master Labor Agreement (MLA) between the Parties.

2. With the deployment of the Modern Defense Personnel Data System in Oct 2002, Civilian Service Computation Date (SCD-CIV) was used to break ties between equally ranked candidates for referral. According to Section 12.11 of the AFGE Master Labor Agreement where ties exist among top ranked candidates on a promotion register after application of appropriate evaluation and ranking factors, such ties will be broken by seniority Reduction In Force-Service Computation Date (SCD-RIF) with the more senior employee(s) being included on the certificate. Management agrees to review the merit promotion actions identified by the potentially impacted bargaining unit members which occurred during the timeframe indicated in the memo to employees. Bargaining unit members who missed consideration due to the use of SCD-CIV will be afforded priority consideration.

3. This settlement covers bargaining unit employees who applied to non-career program bargaining unit positions: Memos will be sent to bargaining unit employees who are potentially impacted based on self-nomination data provided by AFPC.

4. Individuals who have been promoted during the designated timeframe will not be sent a memo or be given priority consideration under this settlement.

5. Priority consideration may be given to non-bargaining and career program positions. Employees are not entitled to backpay.

6. Employees who missed consideration will be given one priority consideration to a vacancy for which they are highly qualified for every missed consideration. For example if an individual was not referred on 5 merit promotion certificates, they will be given priority consideration to 5 vacancies f6r which they are highly qualified.

7. Priority candidates will be referred to selecting supervisors in RIF SCD order. The number of priority candidates referred will be based on the number of vacancies being filled. One candidate will be referred for each vacancy being filled. If the priority candidate is not selected, management will receive a certificate from the next group of appropriate candidates e.g., other type of priority candidates, reassignment candidates or merit promotion candidates. If problems arise with this priority referral process, the parties will review the process and determine if changes should be made.

8. Selection of a priority candidate is not mandatory. Selecting officials will be informed of their responsibility to consider the priority candidate's qualifications and make a decision, based on valid work-related reasons, without comparison to any other candidate. Selecting officials will be informed of the individual's right to grieve improper or inadequate consideration.