On behalf of the Board I am taking this opportunity to welcome you to our website, and to tell you about a few of our initiatives and plans.

First of all, as a Board, we have all agreed to the following mission statements:

• The NHPA position on any applicable topic requires approval by a majority of the Board and that majority decision will be the Union position;
• Honesty, integrity and professionalism will govern all our dealings with Headquarters Management and the membership; and
• For any issue, case or grievance brought to the Board, as a group, we will first decide on the legitimacy of the issue, case or grievance. The disposition or Union position will then be decided and approved by the Board before any further Union involvement. The Board has received training from the IFPTE so that all members are familiar with the basic core requirements of stewardship and Union operations.

It is our expectation that the above will both strengthen and unite us as a bargaining unit and change the way that we comport ourselves in dealings with Headquarters Management. The process of rebuilding our relationship with Management, our members and our bargaining unit is slow but we ask you for your patience. The Board has already achieved some progress in the following areas:

• Monthly meetings have been established with NASA senior management;
• Members of the Board meet regularly with NASA Labor Relations officer, Ms. Dorothy Egbert, to discuss items of mutual interest and to keep informed about matters which may become future issues;
• The NHPA President is an observer/participant in the Agency Executive Safety & Occupational Health Advisory Board;
• We are members on the Headquarters steering group that is dealing with the building re-stacking effort/planning; and
• We are in the process of working with our other NASA Federal locals as a member of the NASA Council and to ensure that this organization remains a vital and viable means of representing all Center locals to Agency management.

We thank you – our members – for your continued support. We look forward to talking with each of you in the months ahead. It is our goal to retain our current membership and to grow with new members from the bargaining unit. We encourage all of you to contact us, not only for matters of representation, but also for your suggestions and comments. Also, if there is any way to improve our service, please let us know.

We wish everyone a prosperous year and an improved, friendlier and less stressful work environment.

Richard C. Zwierko, President, NHPA, IFPTE Local 9, AFL/CIO & CLC

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