MEMORANDUM FOR: Priscilla Lewis, Chief, Labor and Employee Relations

Division, AMHL

FROM: Edward Eitches, Chair, Mid-Term Bargaining Committee, Council 222 HUD

Locals

SUBJECT: Demand to Bargain – Upgrading of all HUD’s desktop

Operating systems to Windows XP

On March 14, 2003, management delivered to the union notice of the upgrading of all HUD’s desktop operating systems to Windows XP. Council 222, AFGE demands to bargain over the impact and implementation of the reorganization pursuant to Article 5 of the Agreement between HUD and AFGE.

Council 222’s initial proposals are as follows:

1. Management agrees to have a working group test the XP operating system and how it works with HUDWARE II before the XP operating system is made available to employees.

2. Management agrees to have a member of AFGE Council of HUD Locals 222 Communication Committee as a member of the working group testing the XP operating system.

3. Management agrees that any problems with the XP operating system that affects employee’s work will not affect employee’s performance ratings.

4. Management agrees that every employee will be shown how to create a folder on his/her “C” drive and to “set” permissions only to allow him/her to have access to that folder.

5. Management agrees that all current desktops will have an 866 mhz microprocessor or better; and all current notebooks will have 1.0 gigahertz microprocessor or better, with a 20-gigabyte hard drive or better including all Union computer equipment. Implementation of the change to Windows XP will not take place until the President of Council 222 of HUD Locals 222 has received notification that all the Departments computers meet these requirements

6. Management agrees to evaluate the entire XP operating systems six months from implementation. After the evaluation, the working group will reconvene to discuss equipment/software problems for possible upgrades.

2.

7. Management agrees to have a backup operating systems so that there is no adverse impact on HUD training systems, travel systems, payroll systems, program funding systems as a result of implementation of the XP operating system

The following are information requests that must be provided to the Chief Negotiator, to be designated by the Council, prior to negotiations in electronic format:

1. Provide detailed information regarding the proposed training for employees including but not limited to: type, format (on-line, person, video conferencing, computer based training (cbt), etc.), who the training will be given by, implementation schedule and how the schedule was determined.

2. How will current computer data be integrated to the new system?

3. List of the number of desktops by office and their specifications.

4. List of the number of notebooks by office and their specifications.

5. Have all HUD Local Area Network (LAN) software applications and mainframe software applications been tested on every type of desktops and notebooks currently in every HUD office?

6. Is the XP operating system compatible with the current timekeeping software?

These are preliminary proposals only, and the union reserves the right to bargain or amend or add proposals, in accordance with Article 5. If Council 222 does not hear from management within seven calendar days (Agreement, Section 5.03(1)(d)), the union will assume that management has accepted this proposal and does not intend to bargain.

President Carolyn Federoff will be appointing a team to represent the Council. If you need further information, please feel free to contact me at 708-3077.

Thank you for your cooperation.