After years of fierce opposition from NFFE and other federal employee unions, the beginning of the end of NSPS may be in sight. In a DoD press release issued earlier this week, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn announced that DoD will delay any further conversions of defense workers into NSPS, pending an extensive review of the much-maligned personnel system.
“This administration is committed to operating fair, transparent, and effective personnel systems, and we are undertaking this review to assess whether NSPS meets these objectives,” said Lynn.
DoD and OPM leadership are currently engaging in discussions with key personnel in the administration to determine the overall framework, scope, and timeline of the review, including identifying an appropriate individual to lead the review. It is expected to take several months for a review team to gather the necessary information and data, reach out to stakeholders, and develop recommendations for leadership consideration.
National President Richard N. Brown’s Statement on Review of NSPS:
“We are still committed to repealing NSPS this year. We have all the information we need to demonstrate that NSPS is a flawed personnel system and a huge waste of tax-payers’ dollars. We are glad to see that DoD and OPM are reviewing the program, but we aren’t going to let that stand in the way of our effort to repeal the personnel system this year. NSPS was never meant to be a good government personnel plan. It was designed to eliminate federal employee unions and suppress Defense workers’ pay. Our mind is made up, NSPS needs to go.”