May 16, 2017
The National Federation of Federal Employees strongly opposes the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act (S. 1094) introduced last week in the U.S. Senate.
If enacted, this bill will lower the agency’s burden of proof in cases involving employee misconduct, weakening systematic protections for employees who speak up against unsafe practices and political coercion.
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May 22, 2017
Click the link above to view the FWA (union coalition which NFFE co-chairs) letter to the House.
The VET Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 1461), introduced by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and further amended by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), breaks the independent voice of unions and employees at the VA under the guise of improving accountability.
The bill as amended will cap official time and representation at 25% for all employees, and prohibit all employees who provide direct care or make more than $100,000 in base salary from serving in official time capacities. In addition, it extends probationary periods for new employees to two years, discourages direct communication with Congress, and allows union members to drop their dues at any time.
H.R. 1461 intends to break unions and cut their influence at the VA, and it aims to weaken the rights of federal employees first at the VA, then everywhere.
This bill could go to the House Floor at any time so contact your Representative today and tell them to say No to H.R. 1461!
Read the FWA letter to the House, here.
May 19, 2017
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing on FAA reform, in which Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) advocated for the privatization of the Federal Aviation Administration and its Air Traffic Control system.
This would give airlines a monopoly over the market and nearly limitless power to raise taxes and fees on consumers without any congressional oversight or public accountability.
Read the NFFE FAA Privatization Position Paper from Legislative Week, here.
Read the letter to the House from a NFFE and a Coalition of FAA unions and other partners against FAA privatization, here.
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