Office of the Historian

153. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Civil Service Career Development and Assignments (Bourbon) to the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Personnel (Barnes)1

Washington, June 2, 1978

SUBJECT

  • Status of FPMP

The House Government Operations Committee will hold bearings on Reorganization Plan Number 22 (to establish an Office of Personnel Management) on June 6, 1978. The Reorganization Plan was sent to the Congress on May 23 and the 60th day after submission will be August 9. If approved, the Reorganization Plan will take effect on either October 1, 1978 or January 1, 1979.

Democratic Members of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee are currently caucussing on the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.3 The Senate is not in session.

At the conclusion of the Civil Service Commission sponsored meeting on executive development and productivity which was held on Tuesday, May 30, Jule Sugarman made the following observations regarding the Civil Service Reform Act:

—We should know by June 9 where the Senate is coming out on the bill. There is reason for confidence regarding that outcome.

—On the House side, it is anybody’s guess regarding final disposition.

—Areas where compromise may be necessary:

Whistleblowers

Protection would be available to them if they go through their own Office of Inspector General, but no protection if they go public first.

Veteran’s Preference

The goal will be language which satisfies all Viet Nam veterans and all disabled veterans.

One idea is to allow veteran’s preference for 15 years after discharge or assure coverage until 1985 or have a one-time only life time use.

[Page 604]

—Labor Management Relations

Mr. Granquist4 of OMB added that while the President will go along with putting Executive Order 114915 into law (proposed Title VII)6he is not prepared to go beyond that.

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of the Under Secretary for Management (M), 1978–1979, Box 1, Chron June 1–6, 1978. No classification marking. Printed from an unsigned copy.↩
  2. Carter submitted Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 to Congress on May 23. See Public Papers: Carter, 1978, Book I, pp. 953–959.↩
  3. See footnote 4, Document 152.↩
  4. Wayne G. Granquist.↩
  5. E.O. 11491, “Employee-Management Relations in the Federal Service,” was signed on October 29, 1969.↩
  6. Reference to Title VII, “Federal Service Labor-Management Relations,” of the proposed Civil Service Reform Act.↩