Once-inactive US DFC union opens talks on new bargaining agreement

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s once-inactive union opened its labor contract for renegotiation this week to address staff concerns about career advancement, workplace fairness, consultation, and benefits. The union — which grew to about 110 members from five in the past year or so — has had the same collective bargaining agreement since it was first negotiated in 1992 when it represented DFC’s predecessor, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. The outdated CBA was written at a time before cell phones and high-speed internet were ubiquitous or available to the general public and the current contract doesn’t include any information about a telework policy, for example. At other agencies, these agreements are renegotiated at regular intervals. While this is technically a negotiation, it is “almost like starting from scratch because the agreement is so old,” Sarah Polaski, a union vice president, told Devex. The union would still like to see the process carried out as “expediently as possible,” she added. “What’s driving employees to join the union is multifaceted,” Sudhir Paladugu, the union’s first vice president, told Devex. The reorganization of the U.S. development finance institution, or “realignment,” as DFC management calls it, spurred interest in the union and having more staff input on big changes that would affect their jobs. As Devex has reported, some staff have had concerns about the changes and how they are being implemented. In the past, union leadership was not considered proactive, which could have discouraged membership. The union has several issues it wants to be addressed in the process, including protections from retaliation and a responsive grievance process, a lack of advancement opportunities, particularly for career civil servants, certain hiring procedures and working conditions, including remote or telework rules, and health insurance for work travel abroad. The group also wants so-called mid-term bargaining rights, essentially a provision requiring the union to have a voice in major changes the agency makes. While management consulted the union on its reorganization, union representatives said executives were not required to address any concerns it raised, and those consultations were not held with the relevant staff. The union and management held their first meeting this week and the next step is agreeing on the ground rules for negotiations and setting a timeline for the contract talks. “We look forward to working with the union to renegotiate our collective bargaining agreement,” DFC spokesperson Nina Prieur told Devex in a statement. “We look forward to a productive exchange of proposals to arrive at a collective bargaining agreement that will well serve all DFC employees.” In a letter to DFC Chief Executive Officer Scott Nathan, Paludogu wrote that the union’s growth and increased employee engagement “will assist DFC as it scales up into a mature organization.” DFC is about five years old and discussions are underway in the U.S. Congress about how the agency could adapt and change as it considers a reauthorization. “We look forward to earnest, good-faith negotiations that result in an agreement that best meets both employee needs and DFC’s mission,” Palodugu wrote in the letter. Employees want to understand a recent whistleblower retaliation case and management should explain what is being done to prevent future wrongful terminations over unproven allegations of poor performance or misconduct, he said.