Archive: November 30, 2008 - December 6, 2008
Readers Speak Out
We like to hear from our readers. From time to time the Federal Diary prints a "speak out" column featuring your thoughts. The Nov. 26 and subsequent columns on planned changes in the Blue Cross/Blue Shield standard option insurance plan...
By Terri Rupar | December 5, 2008; 9:04 AM ET | Comments (1)
Workforce Advice for the President-Elect
With a scary economy and two long wars, Barack Obama will be a busy man after he is inaugurated as president next month. As if that’s not enough, “the chilling reality is that his job will be even tougher than...
By Terri Rupar | December 4, 2008; 1:54 PM ET | Comments (4)
The Full Story on the Blues Hearing
The nation's largest provider of health insurance for federal employees, under fire for changes to its benefits package, says it is willing to make adjustments in answer to the complaints if only Uncle Sam would let it. Stephen W. Gammarino,...
By Terri Rupar | December 4, 2008; 8:44 AM ET | Comments (1)
Committee Addresses Health-Care Fee
Rep. Danny K. Davis said today that Blue Cross Blue Shield is reconsidering its benefit options for federal employees. Davis, chairman of the House subcommittee on the federal workforce, postal service and the District of Columbia, spoke at a hearing...
By Terri Rupar | December 3, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (3)
Another Obstacle for Affirmative Action
On Nov. 4, amid all the excitement surrounding Barack Obama's election, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit struck down a Pentagon program that included a 5 percent set-aside for companies run by African...
By Terri Rupar | December 3, 2008; 10:21 AM ET | Comments (1)
Order Cut Workers From Bargaining Unit
The president of a large federal employees union says an executive order signed by President Bush cuts about 1,500 employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the Justice Department and other workers in Treasury’s Tax and...
By Terri Rupar | December 2, 2008; 3:22 PM ET | Comments (0)
A FEW Priorities
They may be FEW, but they claim more than 100 chapters in the country. The Federally Employed Women want the president-elect to know they are not too few to have their voices heard, so they sent him a letter Monday...
By Terri Rupar | December 2, 2008; 12:08 PM ET | Comments (4)
Room at the Top for More Diversity
Diversity within the group of men -- and still only men -- who have been president of the United States will change significantly when Barack Obama is sworn in next month. But when he looks across the highest level of...
By Terri Rupar | December 2, 2008; 8:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
Blue Cross... to be Cross-Examined
Those getting the blues from health insurance issues might be interested to know that Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), chairman of the House subcommittee on the federal workforce, postal service and the District of Columbia, will hold a hearing Wednesday...
By Sarah Lovenheim | December 1, 2008; 2:37 PM ET | Comments (2)
