The two senior scientists are currently representing the Union on impact and implementation negotiations for the Macintosh upgrades from 10.4 to 10.5. This upgrade is necessary because Apple is no longer doing security patches for system 10.4

The Union has proposed the following:

1) Information Technology is a difficult and rapidly changing field. 
The scope of possible solutions to any IT challenge today may be 
 quite different than the choice of solutions last year. The Union 
 proposes that Management and the Union establish an ad hoc committee to examine the IT needs of the Division, with special emphasis on the current Macintosh computer users, and provide recommendation to the Division Management with 60 days. The committee should provide expected costs and benefits for different options and recommend 
 solutions for the Division. The committee will consist of two 
members chosen by the Union and two members chosen by Management. 
The committee will reach any decision by consensus. Governing 
criteria will be (a) meeting the Mission of the Agency, (b) 
 optimizing the productivity and morale of the employees, (c) 
 minimizing costs and (d) remaining consistent with applicable law 
 and government-wide regulations. The committee recommendations should not be constrained by previous Management decisions that may 
 not be applicable or optimal for present needs. Rather, innovative 
approaches are encouraged.

2) Based upon the recommendations of the above ad hoc committee, Management will meet with each affected individual to implement a 
 strategy that provides short term and long term solutions to the IT 
 needs of both the employee and the Agency. The proposed individual 
 solutions will be consistent with the terms of the Collective 
 Bargaining Agreement, including Article 34.

3) Until such times as proposals 1 and 2 are completed, adversely affected employees in the bargaining unit will remain using system 
 10.4. Should future security concerns arise before the completion of 
 proposals 1 and 2, that preclude the use of OS 10.4 on computers 
 connected to the NOS network, the Union and Management will meet to 
 explore other alternative solutions