In Depth Newscast – August 12

• The GAO is the latest government agency to offer early retirement, and ask OPM for approval to offer buyouts. The early retirements are available starting today, and close September sixth. Senior Executive Service and Senior Level staff at GAO aren’t eligible.
• The Postal Service proposal to cut up to 220,000 jobs and change its retirement system is getting heavy criticism from employee unions. American Postal Workers Union President Cliff Guffey says the proposal would destroy collective bargaining and crush postal workers. Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress are already asking the Postal Service questions about how they would implement the changes to
• The Labor Department is asking for comments on a plan to collect data on salaries, wages and benefits contractors and subcontractors pay to employees. The data would serve as a screening tool that would encourage contractors to audit themselves, or alert the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to potential audit subjects. Labor says the rule would help root out discriminatory pay practices against women and people of color.
• The Veterans Affairs Department is adding tablet computers to its commodity IT contract. Amendments to the Commodity Enterprise Contract at VA will allow the purchase of tablets running any available tablet operating systems, including iPads, Androids, Windows 7, and Blackberry. NextGov reports VA Chief Information Officer Roger Baker expects the 200 thousand or so Veterans Health Administration employees to be potential early adopters for tablet computers.

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