REPORT ON ACTIVITIES FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER
Election of officers of the 2006-2007 Staff
Committee
In accordance with the Statutes of the Staff
Association, and on the basis of Article 24.b,
the President proceeded to designate the vice
president, secretary, and treasurer of the
present Committee. He clarified that, although
not established in the Statutes, practice and
custom indicated that the candidate receiving
the highest number of votes in the annual
election—in this case, Magaly Rothe--was to be
named vice president. The position of secretary
went to Lina Sevillano, the position of
alternate secretary to Patricia Quiroz. The
positions of treasurer and alternate treasurer
went to Bruce Rickerson and Miguel A. Merino,
respectively.
Advisory Board
Then, in accordance with Article 26 of the
Statutes of the Staff Association, the Advisory
Board was formed, consisting of the following
five members: the current President of the Staff
Committee, René L. Gutiérrez; the most recent
former representative on the Retirement and
Pension Committee, Daniel Perna; the most recent
former president of the Staff Committee, María
T. Mellenkamp; and two members designated by the
Staff Committee, Anna McG. Chisman and Linda J.
Poole. Former presidents Martha Braga and
Arturo Garzón were to serve as guest advisers.
Meetings of the Staff Committee, 2006-2007
The Committee decided to hold its regular
meetings every Thursday, beginning at 8:30 a.m.,
in the Terrence J. Woods Staff Committee meeting
room (GSB 348). All staff members wishing to
observe the work of the Committee could do so by
making an appointment with the President
(extension 6255).
Update of the Statutes
The President indicated that the amendments to
the Statutes on May 27, 1992, had been made in
English, not in Spanish. The updated Statutes
would be translated and thus available in both
languages.
Questionnaire to determine the wage scale for
general services staff
Through the PAHO Staff Association, the Local
Salary Survey Committee (LSSC) in Washington,
charged with conducting surveys to determine
wage scales for general services, requested the
assistance of the OAS Staff Association in
contacting private firms who could report on the
wages they paid, in order to establish a
baseline for working conditions in this market.
However, the Staff Committee did not receive the
names of any private firms in the area.
Staff concerns
The Committee decided to devise a work plan and,
to that end, considered a number of questions of
concern to the staff. These included:
Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA): Staff were
concerned that this cost was not included in the
2007 program-budget. Lateral transfers: Staff
felt that the consequences of these transfers
for the office/unit/secretariat from which the
staff member was transferred were not evaluated
in terms of loss of institutional memory or how
the performance of the transferred staff member
would be affected. Centralized
decision-making: Staff were concerned and felt
a lack of job security, since decisions were
taken by a small group of people, mostly new,
without regard to the views of qualified persons
with professional experience. They thought the
Staff Committee should be included in decisions
affecting staff. The statement that the
Administration’s doors were open to staff and to
their concerns continued to be made. However,
staff did not see transparency in the decisions
made. They also saw a lack of communication on
the part of management as to the direction the
General Secretariat was taking, its
modernization plans, and its vision.
Staff Committee meeting with the Assistant
Secretary for Administration, Frank Almaguer,
and the Director of the Department of Human
Resources, Rosa María Barreiro
The Committee met with these two representatives
of the Administration on Wednesday, July 19, to
discuss matters of common interest. The
Assistant Secretary for Administration and
Finance congratulated the Committee on the
democratic election of its representatives. He
then expressed concern over the security of the
building in case of a catastrophe or emergency.
He reported that the Department of Human
Resources had determined the exact number of
persons who worked in the GSB, so as to prepare
an evacuation plan. He identified three
challenges for the current Administration.
First, he referred to the Organization’s
financial problem. Since 1994, the Regular Fund
had not been increased; this had caused
shrinkage in the labor force and had induced
them to seek outside resources. Secondly, he
indicated that efforts were under way to secure
authorization from the Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Affairs (CAAP) of
the remainder needed in order to pay the
cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in the 2007
budget. Lastly, he was working for a climate
of cooperation and mutual trust between the
Staff Committee and the Administration. The
Administration was also working actively to
regain the trust of the CAAP.
The Assistant Secretary reaffirmed that the
Staff Committee could call upon the Department
of Human Resources and the Secretariat for
Administration and Finance at any time and that
both parties should keep the exchange of
information clear and transparent. He
concluded by reporting that changes in the Staff
Rules were expected and by giving his assurances
that the Administration was ready to cooperate
and resolve the issues mentioned at the opening
assembly, on July 18. These included: (a) an
objective selection process; (b) a more suitable
personnel evaluation system; (c) an increase in
the percentage of continuing contracts; (d)
implementation of the policy on harassment in
the workplace; (e) implementation of flexi-time;
(f) fair and appropriate lateral transfers that
would serve as an incentive to staff.
The President of the Staff Association expressed
his regret that performance contract personnel
could not be represented by the Staff Committee,
since many of them performed regular work
functions. He reiterated that the Staff
Committee should be involved in any change to
the Staff Rules.
Lateral transfers
In principle, it was discussed whether, in some
cases, these transfers were carried out without
the staff member’s consent or without the
approval of the area to which the staff member
would be transferred. That possibility was
discarded, however, and the Administration’s
promotion of these lateral transfers was viewed
as positive. The Committee believed this new
General Secretariat policy had been welcomed by
the staff and it invited those members who
wished to transfer to other offices to contact
the DHR. It was recognized that, in some cases,
the transferred staff member could encounter
some resistance from his or her new workmates.
The Committee noted that, in order to keep staff
informed, the Department of Human Resources
should have published a document on the
reorganization and announced those transfers.
In addition, it was recommended that the Staff
Register be updated, since the most recent
version corresponded to March 2006.
Child care center
The Staff Committee decided to continue working
on this matter to secure concrete results from
the Administration. It was decided that, at a
minimum, a reminder letter should be sent to the
Administration. It also decided that the
subcommittee handling this topic would continue
to operate. The President presented a summary
history of the matter of setting up a day care
center at the General Secretariat, which had
been discussed for over 10 years.
Contributions to the Staff Association
The Committee decided to attract General
Secretariat staff members who did not contribute
to the Staff Association and to request those
who did contribute to adjust their quotas, since
the amount changed with each grade and step
increase. It was also decided to launch an
update campaign by sending an e-mail to each
contributing member explaining the automatic
adjustments.
Update of membership and contributions
The Committee received an updated list of all
staff members and another listing all
contributing members. In order to update
contributions, it decided it needed to define
how contributions would be calculated. The
previous Committee proposed a calculation based
on the pensionable salary. That was because,
under the present formula ($4 per $1,000),
General Services staff paid more than
professional staff, since the calculation was
based on the base salary. Professional staff
contributions had not increased, because the
base salary formula did not take the post
adjustment into account.
The Committee decided to invite Fernando López,
treasurer of the previous Committee, to report
on the previous efforts. He was also asked to
provide a list specifying the pensionable salary
of each staff member.
General Secretariat contribution to the
Committee
The Committee expressed concern over the
lowering of the Administration’s annual
contribution to the Staff Association. It
decided to include this point on the agenda of
the meeting it was to hold with the Secretary
General to request an increase.
Work plan
The Committee decided to form a working group
consisting of René L. Gutiérrez, Magaly Rothe,
Miguel Merino, and Lina M. Sevillano to prepare
the work plan for the 2006-2007 term.
Joint Committee on Insurance Matters
The Committee decided to reaffirm its support to
the members of the Joint Committee on Insurance
Matters in its second year of work. The
members are Gala Redington and Daniel Perna, as
full members, and Gladys Berly and Yacsire
Cutler, as alternates. The term of these
representatives concludes on June 30, 2007.
Joint Advisory Committee on Employee Parking
The Staff Committee decided to appoint Eduardo
Jiménez and Tereza Davis as representatives to
the Joint Advisory Committee on Employee
Parking. The Staff Committee took note of the
parking improvements at the Administration
Building and requested the representatives to
report on their activities. At present, the
Parking Fund covers all expenses related to
parking at the three buildings. This includes
the four security guard posts. For this reason,
the Committee took note of the costs to be
involved in the replacement of the F St.
building garage door and the lighting repairs at
the Main Building and Administration Building.
The Committee was asked to update the waiting
list for the three buildings. The
representatives wanted to know about any
concerns staff might have.
Subcommittee on the children’s holiday party
The Committee reconfirmed Magaly Rothe as
coordinator of this subcommittee, which was to
begin its work in November. The Committee
invited anyone who wished to help with this
lovely event to send an e-mail to Magaly Rothe
at
[email protected]
Board of Trustees of the Medical Benefits Trust
Fund
The Committee decided to appoint Fernando López
as alternate representative to this Board.
Marvin Matus was to continue as principal
representative.
Incentives for participation in the 2006
elections
The President proposed instituting an incentive
mechanism, effective immediately, for those who
voted in past elections. The Committee decided
to give out pens with the Staff Association
logo, together with thank-you notes.
COSTCO campaign
The Committee assessed the scope of the program
and decided to invite new staff members to join
the new campaign scheduled for July 31. A total
of 12 staff members joined the new membership
group, which was in effect from August 2006 to
July 2007.
Recreation/exercise area
The President was to speak with the
Administration about providing staff with an
area for exercising (including yoga, stationary
bike, etc.). The Administration had shown
interest in this initiative in the past. Should
such a space be secured, rules to govern its use
(maintenance, fees, etc.), would be drafted.
Staff members wishing to participate in drafting
the rules were invited to contact the President
(ext. 6255).
ADM Patio/Rotunda
The President reported that the Administration
Building had a patio, now used for smoking,
which had been cleaned up and could be outfitted
as a lunch and break area for staff working in
that building. The President suggested
requesting the Administration’s authorization to
name the patio for our coworker Susana Ramsburg
and providing tables and chairs for ADM staff.
The Committee members agreed and entrusted the
President with submitting a proposal to the
Assistant Secretary for Administration and
Finance.
Meeting with the Department of Human Resources
The President reported that he had been invited
to a working meeting with the DHR. He requested
volunteers to accompany him; Lina Sevillano and
Magaly Rothe volunteered. The meetings were
held once a month and, to date, had addressed
the following issues:
Performance evaluation.
The Director of the DHR reported that research
was under way to improve on the present
performance evaluation system. The Department
had held meetings for that purpose with
representatives of other international
organizations. Magaly Rothe was entrusted with
continuing this task and acting as liaison
between the Staff Committee and the DHR.
Staff Rules.
The Director of the DHR proposed improving and
revising those provisions of the Staff Rules
that were obsolete. She also stated her view
that they were inflexible and often difficult to
understand. She requested that the President
identify 20 provisions of the Staff Rules where
amendments would be warranted and, in his
opinion, would serve to modernize the General
Secretariat. The President of the Staff
Association was to serve as liaison between the
Association and the DHR. Ms. Lesley Zark of
the DHR was to be part of the work team.
Pursuit and/or completion of university studies
by OAS staff members.
This proposal was to give a number of options to
OAS staff members who had been unable to
complete their university studies at the
Bachelor’s Degree level. The DHR was willing to
help staff members with both money and time. It
would also advise those who had not completed
their studies and wanted to be trained and earn
professional degrees. The President proposed
that the DHR take account of staff members who
had already obtained university degrees and not
been promoted to higher posts. He offered the
DHR a list of such staff for consideration as
candidates for lateral transfers. Lina M.
Sevillano of the Staff Committee and Tony
Gaxiola of the DHR were named as liaisons.
Three institutions had been contacted about
university studies: National Louis University,
DeVry University, and Strayer University. Still
pending was the definition of incentives, who
the beneficiaries would be, and how the
information would be circulated.
Training system:
The survey sent out a few weeks earlier has been
answered by 35% of the staff. The staff’s
general and specific needs were being
identified.
Child care center:
The Director of the DHR asked about the status
of implementation of a day care center. She was
told that the missing information would be
provided to her soon and that the Committee had
decided to continue supporting this initiative.
Letter from the Assistant Secretary General,
Albert R. Ramdin
The Committee took note of the letter sent by
the Assistant Secretary General, Albert R.
Ramdin, congratulating the new Committee,
thanking it for the invitation to the last Staff
Assembly, and offering his support for the
Committee’s tasks.
Annual handicrafts fair
The President reported that the annual
handicrafts fair would take place on October 24
and 25. Anyone interested in participating
could do so, as long as the products offered for
sale had been made in the Americas.
Speech by the Assistant Secretary General at the
Staff Assembly
The Committee decided to publish the speech by
the Assistant Secretary General, Albert R.
Ramdin, at the annual Staff Assembly the
preceding July 18, since it had dealt with
matters of interest to staff.
Joint Committee on Workplace and Sexual
Harassment
After comparing the lists of investigators
provided by the outgoing Staff Committee with
the list provided by the Director of Human
Resources and the communications between our
President and Magaly McLean of the DHR, the
Committee concluded that it did not have a final
list of names and that, somehow, the parties did
not agree. It was decided to support Anna
Chisman’s initiative of suggesting to the DHR
that a single committee on harassment be formed,
having both investigators and advisers, with the
understanding that some of these would be
members of the old Committee on Sexual
Harassment.
It was decided to prepare a formal letter to the
Director of the DHR, providing a list of persons
to serve on the harassment committee, with the
respective investigators and advisers. These
members must not have trust appointments or
short-term or long-term contracts.
Formation of cadres
It was decided to review the updated list and
report who was on it and what their
responsibilities were. This was to promote
closer relations with the staff. The role of
the cadres was to be liaison and motivation.
The Committee was to invite the cadres to a
meeting for information-sharing and discussion.
Notices of events
The President reported that the DHR had
requested that notices of baby showers and
retirement parties, etc., no longer be sent out
through the “General Announcements” channel.
The DHR was working on a portal accessible to
staff where such notices could be posted.
The Staff Committee was to look into issuing of
these notices, as a service to staff, under the
existing guidelines.
Health insurance services for domestic employees
The Committee considered the provision of health
insurance services for domestic employees of
staff of the permanent missions of the Americas
to the United Nations.
The President said this item had
remained pending from the prior Committee and
pledged to continue looking into the legal
implications of continuing with this service.
Rowe Fund - OAS Staff Committee Agreement
A letter was to be sent to the Director of the
Department of Human Development, María Levens,
for the purpose of revising the agreement signed
in 2002, requesting elimination of the
additional 1% now charged to staff members who
requested Rowe Fund loans, which were guaranteed
by Staff Committee funds. The President
reported that he had met with the Director and
they had agreed to eliminate the 1% under a new
agreement.
Staff survey
The President entrusted Luis Batlle with
drafting a survey of all General Secretariat
staff, based on the 2002 survey, to assess their
needs and concerns. It was agreed that survey
participants would be rewarded and assistance
would be requested from the cadres or contact
persons. Once the survey results were
tabulated, they would be discussed frankly with
staff at a Special Assembly.
Kedy Herbiveau donations
The President reported that a Credit Union
account had been opened for donations to the
wife and daughter of Mr. Herbiveau, who was
murdered in Haiti while working on the security
staff at the OAS office in that country. The
Committee also discussed the possibility of
helping Mr. Herbiveau’s family through the
Association’s emergency account. The Committee
expressed its appreciation to all staff members
who had contributed to this noble cause. The
total raised was $2,100, which was to be sent to
the beneficiaries through the Leo S. Rowe
Emergency Fund.
Joint efforts with AROAS and ASPEN
The President reported that the members of the
AROAS (Association of Retirees of the OAS) were
interested in donating time and expertise for
the benefit of the staff. Retirees with
experience in the topics the Committee decided
to pursue during the 2006-2007 term were to be
consulted. He also reported the formation of
the new Association of Pensioners of the OAS
(ASPEN) and the Committee’s joint efforts with
the ASPEN to organize seminars of interest to
staff and to its members. The seminars were to
begin in November.
Raffle for contributing members
It was decided to raffle items from the OAS Gift
Shop, as an incentive to contributing members,
in conjunction with the membership update
campaign.
Joint Advisory Committee on Reconsideration
The Committee decided to name Adelfa Fernández
as principal representative and Nelly Gochicoa
and Stella Villagrán as alternate
representatives to the Joint Advisory Committee
on Reconsideration.
Victims in Ecuador
The Committee decided to open a Credit Union
account to help victims of the Tungurahua
Volcano eruption.