The National Treasury Employees Union has reached an agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services on the distribution of performance awards to NTEU-bargaining unit employees.
The union said the agreement could pave the way for performance awards for all employees. It said ongoing negotiations have frozen issue of performance awards department-wide.
The two parties are continuing to negotiate a consolidated labor agreement covering seven operating divisions where NTEU has a presence.
According to NTEU, the awards decisions were to be finalized by March 31, are based on a new performance appraisal system and will be distributed according to individual timetables set by the various operating divisions.
"I am pleased we were able to settle this matter so that hard-working, high-performing HHS employees are not delayed in receiving their earned awards," said union president Colleen M. Kelley.
The union said an arbitrator would likely report by mid-April recommendations on remaining issues between NTEU and HHS.