General Services Administration officials and union leaders announced Wednesday that they are postponing a decision on whether or not to shut down eight Federal Supply Service warehouses until the new year.
Discussions between the General Services Administration and the American Federation of Government Employees have been going on since October, after an independent arbitrator ruled that GSA Administrator David Barram's July decision to shut down the eight warehouses violated an agreement with AFGE. A shutdown could have eliminated as many as 2,000 warehouse employees' jobs.
Frank Pugliese, commissioner of the Federal Supply Service, acknowledged that the continuing talks are putting stress on warehouse workers whose jobs hang in the balance as the talks continue. "As FSS attempts to grapple with these dramatic challenges, we recognize they can cause anxiety for many of you," Pugliese said in a statement. "We know that you want to know what's going to happen with the stock distribution system."
AFGE President Bobby L. Harnage characterized the discussions with GSA as "cordial and productive meetings," and said he is confident a solution to the financial woes of the stock program will be found that meets both agency and employee needs. Last week, AFGE presented Barram with a proposal to keep the warehouses open.
Barram was expected to make a decision on the warehouse situation before the holidays, a move that made him a target for media criticism. U.S. News and World Report recently reported that GSA employees were calling Barram a "Scrooge" in anticipation of warehouse layoffs before Christmas.
But Pugliese echoed Harnage's characterization of discussions as friendly.
"We will update you after the beginning of the year," Pugliese said. "I wish you a safe and happy holiday."