PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Scott Robinson
During the week of May 5-11, public servants across the country will be recognized for their commitment to ensure our government fulfills the needs of all Americans and keeps the country moving forward in these
unprecedented times.
During Public Service Recognition Week, NARFE
proudly joins other government organizations, Congress, and the White House
to express gratitude for our valuable contributions.
Statistics lists 44,600 government jobs in Spokane and Spokane Valley in March 2024. People fulfilling these jobs make government work at all levels,
The U.S. Bureau of Labor
including city, county, state, and federal. I say “Job well done” to all public
servants and retirees.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officially finalized a rule aimed at protecting career civil servants from the potential reemergence of the Schedule F policy, an initiative from the previous administration that sought to convert most federal employees to at-will workers. Published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2024, this regulation solidifies protections for 2.2 million federal employees, making it challenging for any future administration to reintroduce Schedule F-like policies (NARFE.org and OPM.gov).
As your Chapter President, I’m recruiting Leadership for Program and Membership. The Chapter recently voted to suspend Alzheimer’s and NARFE-PAC. If you are interested in any of these tasks, then please contact me. With no chairperson, a village is needed to complete these tasks.
Please call me at 208-661-7695 or email me at scottsoriole@q.com if you have any questions regarding Spokane Chapter 32.
ALZHEIMER’S (suspended Chairperson)
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officially finalized a rule aimed at protecting career civil servants from the potential reemergence of the Schedule F policy, an initiative from the previous administration that sought to convert most federal employees to at-will workers. Published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2024, this regulation solidifies protections for 2.2 million federal employees, making it challenging for any future administration to reintroduce Schedule F-like policies (NARFE.org and OPM.gov).
As your Chapter President, I’m recruiting Leadership for Program and Membership. The Chapter recently voted to suspend Alzheimer’s and NARFE-PAC. If you are interested in any of these tasks, then please contact me. With no chairperson, a village is needed to complete these tasks.
PROGRAM (vacant Chairperson)
If you missed our recent meetings, then I encourage you to go to narfespokane.org to read about our past guest speakers. Our May speaker is Bob Bartlett, PHB. He will speak about York; he was with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Spokane Chapter is recruiting a Program Chairperson. If you are interested in sharing your learned knowledge with the group, please contact any Officer or Director.
During the week of May 5-11, public servants across the country will be recognized for their commitment to ensure our government fulfills the
needs of all Americans and keeps the country moving forward in these unprecedented times.
During Public Service Recognition Week, NARFE
proudly joins other government organizations, Congress, and the White House to express gratitude for our valuable contributions.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 44,600 government jobs in Spokane and Spokane Valley in March 2024. People fulfilling these jobs make
government work at all levels, including city, county, state, and federal. I say “Job well done” to all public servants and retirees.
NARFE – PAC (Suspended Chairperson)
This ghost writer has always said, “The Congress giveth and Congress taketh.” Some in Congress are looking at reducing our earned pay and benefits during these uncertain times of reducing the federal government’s deficit spending. NARFE-PAC supports Fed-friendly lawmakers who understand that the government should keep the promises it made to public servants. You can contribute to NARFE-PAC by either using the contribution form in NARFE Magazine, page 11.
SERVICE & OUTREACH Kathy Brooks
We are looking for ways to reach active employees of the government agencies in our area. If you have ideas, please share them with us.
LEGISLATION Roger Bosky
There is some progress to report on the Government Pension Offset/Wind Fall Elimination Provision. (GPO/WEP)
The House Ways and Means Committee has held a hearing on this provision. Committee members appeared divided on the solutions to this inequity. Some members favored complete repeal while others thought that a better approach would be to reform the calculation.
The committee was moved by all the stories of how these provisions discriminated and adversely affected them.
An overriding concern was the cost of implementing GPO/WEP repeal. NARFE favors complete repeal but views any reform as progress.
The Republican Study Committee has put forward many provisions that would adversely affect the Civil Service and our earned benefits. Upon further study, it turns out that many of these provisions are the result of a Heritage Foundation Report entitled “Project 2025”. If you’re interested, take a look.
NARFE is more than just a great magazine. Let them know! Promote NARFE anytime you can. The more members we have the more power to protect our benefits and retirement!
NARFE = YOUR BEST BET FOR THE FUTURE!
WEBSITE Chris Smith
Please contact me at finesse.minds_0j@icloud.com if you find any errors or have any pictures or pertinent articles that may be of interest to members via
the website.
SUNSHINE Susan Harvey
Happy birthday and anniversary celebrations to all who celebrate in May!
Our Chapter has lost another member this year, Donald Downing passed recently.
Wanda Faulkner had shoulder surgery and is recovering on schedule. Bev Benka has recently had hip surgery and is recovering on schedule.
Scott Robinson is continuing the search for a several Committee positions. More hands make light of the job. Call him if you would like to volunteer.
REMINDER, spouses can be members on their own OR can take over the membership of a deceased member.If you become aware of good news, illnesses, surgeries, or a death of a member or family member, please contact me at 509-953-6828.
MAY CHAPTER MEETING MONDAY MAY 13, 2024 Lunch at 11:30 Meeting at 12:15
Darcy’s Restaurant 10502 E. Sprague Ave.
PRESENTER – BOB BARTLETT, PHD – York and Lewis and Clark Expedition
SPOKANE SERVICE CENTER
509-747-1589
DATE FOR YOUR CALENDAR
MAY CHAPTER MEETING MONDAY MAY 13, 2024 – 11:30 AM DARCY’S RESTAURANT10502 E SPRAGUESPOKANE VALLEY
The meeting will be available via ZOOM: The ZOOM information is:
Meeting ID: 846 9246 3195 Passcode: 137652+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
MEMORANDUM FOR: WASHINGTON STATE FEDERATION (WSF) CHAPTER PRESIDENTS & MEMBERS
SUBJECT: Your Federation needs a New Secretary and Webmaster
Our current secretary and webmaster – Linda Wallers will be moving out of the state this summer and with this change in residence she will no longer be able to serve as our secretary and webmaster. She has done a fantastic job for us! She developed our original website, migrated our website to the new NARFE website platform, maintains our website, organizes, and maintains our records, sets up our zoom meetings, generates our meeting minutes and generally keeps us all on track. This is a huge loss for the WSF. But the WSF must go on and I am requesting your help to allow us to continue to operate. Please volunteer or help us identify another very capable individual to serve as our secretary and help us to continue to operate until the election in the late fall.
You should have seen our first election announcement in the NARFE magazine for our elections in late summer. Many of the current officers will be departing at that time and we need candidates for all positions. Please announce your willingness to serve by applying to this post or e-mailing me directly at wsf.cray.henry@gmail.com.
Thank you for everything you do to support our community.
Spokane Washington Chapter 32
PO Box 4592 Spokane, WA 99220
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association 32
NARFE on the Web: National: www.narfe.org WSF: www.narfewa.org
Spokane: www.narfespokane.org