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An ongoing bipartisan congressionally-mandated National Academies (NASEM) Study is collecting information and will report out their findings and recommendations for strengthening Goddard’s technical and scientific capabilities. In July, the study committee contacted GESTA with a request that our union participate directly in the study by providing a public response to their questions. You can read GESTA’s public written response to the committee here. GESTA President Trysh Moton, Secretary Alyssa Barlis and Area Vice President Margaret Samuels also spoke in person at the National Academies in Washington, DC on August 4th, and you can view the recording of the committee meeting via the NASEM committee website. A note that the other open sessions of the NASEM committee meetings, including those with testimony by Center management are also publicly viewable from the study webpage. In responding to the committee’s questions, GESTA pulled from the broad perspectives and experiences we have heard from our members and Goddard’s workforce over the last year and half. We want to give a big thank you to the Goddard community and members who have courageously provided this feedback which allowed us to provide the committee with a clearer view of the recent impacts to Goddard’s workforce and facilities, and of our community's recommendations for rebuilding Goddard’s future.
Given the ongoing significance of facilities budgets to NASA Goddard, we want to highlight some of the published data on the funding amounts involved in sustaining Goddard operations and facilities over the years.
A lawsuit, which GESTA has joined as a plaintiff, has been filed in response to the Goddard research library closure. The motion seeks emergency relief. Greenbelt News and Review recently published a story on the library closure and lawsuit and interviewed attorney Zachary Weil who represents GESTA and the other plaintiffs. In the article Weil speaks to some of the lawsuit arguments.
As labs, storage areas, and offices are packed up and moved, GESTA would like to remind employees that there are established procedures for reporting hazards, close calls, and mishaps. Every year during safety week we're shown examples of what can happen if safety procedures aren't followed. NASA Goddard carries a long tradition of learning from past mistakes so we don't repeat them. Reporting hazards, mishaps and close calls helps all of us to remain safer in our workplace and protect both people and hardware.
Amidst the chaos and frenzy of the building closure timelines enacted by management, a lot of equipment is being excessed very quickly. Below is a quick review of the proper process for excessing government equipment. Additionally, people in labs not impacted by building moves may be interested in the last section on Reclaiming Excessed Equipment to give a new home to equipment that other labs have been forced to excess.
Below we provide a step-by-step walk through of the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Hotline page for reporting information and concerns related to crime, waste, fraud and abuse.
The information below is based on GESTA’s understanding of recent events as of this date. Since management has put very little information in writing, some of this information also comes directly from employees who have been personally involved in the building closures or who have received verbal information from management. We acknowledge the disruption or loss of these facilities represent decades of our colleagues’ work and may carry deep personal and institutional impacts. The brevity of these updates is not meant to reflect the depth of the impacts. We are also aware indirectly of impacts to multiple laboratories and buildings not mentioned here. If you have a (non-controlled) status update or information you would like to provide GESTA regarding the closures or moves of a building or lab for a future bulletin, please feel free to send it to our tipline email or share it via our Survey on this topic.
GESTA and our international union IFPTE have been collecting impacts and concerns about the ongoing building closures at the Goddard campus. We are sharing here a briefing document of our understanding of the status of these closures as of November 14th and our continuing concerns, including more details of some of the missions and capabilities impacted:
GESTA IFPTE Goddard Building Closure Brief |
GESTA IFPTE
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