Federal Union Sues Dept. of Veterans Affairs Over Unlawful Ban on Official Time
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
The
lawsuit was filed at the U.S. District Court
for the District of Columbia (above),
requesting judicial review of the repudiation
notice from the
VA.
For Immediate
Release
Washington,
D.C. – Today, the National Federation of
Federal Employees (NFFE), representing 110,000
federal employees across the country, joined
the American Federation of Government Employees
(AFGE) and the National Association of
Government Employees (NAGE) in filing a lawsuit
against the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), in response to a ‘Notice of
Repudiation’ issued by the VA on November 7,
2018. The lawsuit asserts that the VA is
illegally depriving medical professionals of
their statutorily guaranteed right to serve
under Official Time status, providing critical
services to the staff of the VA. The
unions are seeking permanent injunctive relief
from the Court.
“Official Time is in the best interest of the government, the taxpayer and, in the case of the VA, our veterans,” stated Randy Erwin, NFFE National President. “The crux of the issue is that under Official Time, VA employees serve as an independent voice regarding working conditions, safety issues and mismanagement. Plus, they represent whistleblowers and other employees who make credible claims against fraud, waste, abuse, and political coercion and corruption. Official Time is an internal system of checks and balances, and to perform these duties as required by law, employees from all professions are needed to serve on Official Time status.”
The lawsuit was filed at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at approximately 6:00 PM today, requesting judicial review of the repudiation notice from the VA, citing federal law that guarantees the right of Title 38 employees to use Official Time to represent employees at the VA.
“The VA kicking employees off
official time in this way is a clear violation
of the law,” Erwin continued. “It is
in direct response to the unions’ successful
lawsuit last June against the Trump
Administration that nullified three illegal
Executive Orders that attacked civil servants
working under Official Time. The Trump
Administration was willing to break the law
then, and they are breaking the law again
now.”
PRINT
VERSION - Official NFFE Press
Release
COPY
OF COMPLAINT - VA Lawsuit (Official
Time)