• S. 1094 Sails Through Senate, House Next: Vets and VA Employees Lose 
  

June 7, 2017

The U.S. Senate passed the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act (S. 1094) by a voice vote -- an unusual move used to evade vote accountability -- last Tuesday night. This bill lowers the VA’s burden of proof in cases involving employee misconduct, weakening systematic protections for employees who speak up against unsafe practices and political coercion.

“This bill was rushed through and sets the VA up for failure by chasing away reputable medical and administrative staff, and counter to the stated intent of the bill, blurs the lines of accountability and transparency,” stated NFFE President Randy Erwin. “Instead of this misguided effort, lawmakers should properly fund the VA, provide training and tools for staff to succeed, and secure the systematic protections that enable effective and efficient treatment of VA employees. Gutting workforce protections, as this bill does, is a disaster waiting to happen.”

For more information:

Read the NFFE Press Release, here.

Visit NFFE's Legislative Page, here. 

 

• Trump fires all members of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP)

June 8, 2017 

President Donald Trump has fired all seven members of the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority's Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP). Although this is common for new Presidential Administrations, there is legitimate concern that the President will leave the positions vacant for an extended period. Consequently, when a union petitions the Panel to resolve an impasse, the agency will be unable to implement the proposed change, tying the hands of agency managers seeking to make changes to support the new Administration.

When President Trump eventually appoints a new Panel, it is probable that the members will be very conservative, siding against unions in a majority of its cases.  The actions of the future FSIP, if history dictates, will be reminiscent of the days under George W. Bush.