A message from The President: 

 

 

AFGE Local 1869 has moved it's office to 2371 White Circle, over in the area by the BX and the Shopette. Click the link for a map to our new location.

 

 

ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL:

Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) is a new security access control system designed to make entry onto Charleston Air Force Base and eventually all DOD installations more secure. Charleston AFB will be phasing in this change for the next seven (7) months. All personnel including but not limited to Appropriated Fund, Non Appropriated fund, and retirees. You need to register your CAC Cards, Retiree cards, or dependent I.D. cards between now and October 1st 2009. DO NOT delay getting your card registered. If you delay this process past the deadline date, you will be required to enter the base from Dorchester Road Entry point (Dorchester gate). Bargaining Unit Employees will not receive disciplinary action for being late to work if their CAC Card or reader fails to operate properly. You must be registered in the system to avoid possible disciplinary action, and some issues will be handled on a case by case basis. The Security Section has told me, should the equipment fail, you will receive a card from the security dept to give to your supervisor noting the failure of the equipment and that you were not late through any fault of your own. If your supervisor gives you any disciplinary action and you are supposed to be excused, call the union office and talks with us.

 

Representational Issues

 

Currently negotiating:

 

 

JTR  Joint Travel Regulations (Civilian)

Folks, if you are a civilian employee and you are moving from one base to another as a result of priority placement or for any other reason, you need to read this. The Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) is documentation on how you get paid for such moves. You  need to be fully aware that just because your orders may contain an "X" in the box that states "actual expenses" does not mean that you will receive the area's MAXIMUM rate. Beware.....On your travel orders there is a box numbered 14a.and it stands for Temporary Quarters Subsistence Expense (TQSE). There are 4 boxes in this section one says "yes" one says "no" one says "actual expense" and one says "fixed". When the "fixed" box is checked, you WILL receive the maximum amount of money for the area you will PCS to, but you will only receive this money for thirty (30) days and NO more. That's it 30 days is all you get, you better find a place to live by then. IF the box is checked "YES" then you are entitled up to 120 days of payment, BUT you will NOT receive the full "MAX" rate of the area you are PCS'ing to. You will be entitle up to the national rate of $109 per day for the first 30 days and the remaining 90 days you will only be entitled for up to 75% of that figure with a rate of no more than $81.75 per day. So when you are PCS'ing to another location, you really need to know these things, because you may not be told about this, and you could end up in a world of hurt if you think you can spend the "MAX" rate. The JTR can be found online by searching Google or most any one of your favorite web crawling programs.

TIP: When you are PCS'ing to another area, don't go after the most expensive hotel you can find. Call, and check with the local hotels in the area, and see if they offer discounted weekly or monthly rates for extended stays. We have a few in or area, and currently there is one that is very nice, close to base, and offers rooms for $179.00 a week. Eating in can save you bundles of money also. Ask the hotel clerks if there are efficiencies available. Normally there are, and they contain a small oven or microwave, a refrigerator, ice maker and all of the necessities you will need to prepare and eat your meals. A little planning on your part can make all of the difference in the world when it comes time to pay your bills. You might be collecting some cash when it is all over, or you might have a very expensive bill to pay off if you don't.

Safety Tip of The Month

April is almost over and summer is fast approaching. Time to break out the B-BBQ’s, get the boats ready, and start making solid plans for the summer festivities. Everyone knows that summer brings lots of activities and unfortunately, along with this, comes the injuries associated with having fun. Make sure that all of your equipment is in good condition. Do inspections to make sure that everything is in good repair. A few minutes of your time, could save you the pain and suffering associated with faulty equipment. If you use gas grills, make sure that the hoses are not cracked, the propane tank is not rusting (replacement is fast and easy at most home centers) and that all of the mechanicals such as the burner, the regulator, and associated hardware is in good working order. This will ensure that you have greatly reduced the possibility of having an incident.

Are you getting the boat and jet skis ready to hit the water? I am sure a lot of you are. If you do not posses the skills needed to inspect and maintain your equipment, take them to the nearest dealer and ask them to do inspections and maintenance on your equipment. It might cost a little money to get this done, but in the long run, you will be much happier knowing that your equipment is operating at peak efficiency, and is a lot less likely to leave you stranded far from the waters edge.

Are you a traveler? Make sure your cars and trucks have been properly inspected and maintained as well. Again, if you are not mechanically inclined, most area repair shops will perform a detailed inspection of your car or truck for a minimal amount of money. Your safety is a big concern, so make sure your tires have adequate tread, and your brakes and hydraulic system are functioning properly and in good repair. Always make sure the fluids are topped off to the correct levels, and they have not exceeded their useful life. Make sure your vehicles are in good tune. This will ensure that you get the most efficiency from the engine and this can save you gas as well.

One area most people forget about is their vehicles transmission. If your car is equipped with an automatic transmission, make sure that you get the fluid and filter changed on the recurring basis your owners manual suggests. If your manual is missing, you can contact your local dealer and ask them what the proper change interval is. They will be glad to tell you, and if you cannot do the work yourself, the dealer is equipped to handle this and normally supplies a warranty to back up their work. The average transmission fluid change at the dealer is around $150.00-$200.00, the average cost of replacing that transmission ranges from $2500, 00 - $4000, 00.  You do the math and see what works out cheaper, plus if you maintain your transmission, you greatly reduce the likelihood of failure. And we all know that cars like to fail at the most inconvenient times. We hope you find this article helpful and useful, and we also hope that you remain safe and in motion this summer season.

 

 

Please do not forget that we have cold soft drinks, snacks, HDTV with cable, and internet services available to you during our normal business hours.

 

                                                                              Daniel Grausso                                                                                      

                                    President , AFGE Local 1869