Topic · 11 stories
Grievances & Arbitration
Grievances, arbitration wins, and the cases where Local 17 held management to the contract.
Cases Back-to-Back Arbitration Losses Highlight Board Leadership’s Ongoing Failures
After two consecutive arbitration losses, one might expect Board leadership to reassess its approach and learn from its mistakes. However, the pattern of missteps continues, raising serious concerns…
Arbitration Arbitration Victory: 10 Critical Takeaways
1. Arbitration Victory for Bargaining Unit Employees 2. Back Pay Resulting from Arbitration Victory 3. Unfair Labor Practice Regarding Performance Standards 4. Waiver Scheme and Arbitration Victory…
Grievance Local 17 Files Grievance on Sudden Telework Cancellation at OIT
Update: On May 30, 2024, the Union held a Step 3 Grievance meeting with OIT’s Director of Operations, Celeste Matthews. At the meeting, Matthews indicated that she was open to the possibility of…
Arbitration Disability Discrimination at the Veterans Health Administration
Persons with disabilities constitute one of the largest and most marginalized groups within American society. Despite claims by Secretary McDonough to not tolerate discrimination based on disability,…
Cases Bargaining Unit Employee Reinstated Because VA Management Violated the Employee’s Due Process Rights
Ronald “Ron” Hirtle, Director of NCO 1 Contracting Service, issued a proposed removal for a disabled Veteran bargaining unit employee for a single charge of Misrepresentation of Arrival Time. The…
Grievance Unveiling Deceit: How Management Betrays Employee Trust at VA’s Office of Information and Technology
The Union representing OIT employees at VA Central Office has formally filed a Step 3 grievance, highlighting a troubling pattern of deceitful conduct by management, particularly under Secretary…
Arbitration Update on Secretary McDonough’s Telework Policy
In my last update, I explained that on June 24th, the Union filed a grievance concerning Secretary McDonough’s 50% in-office attendance policy. As expected, Secretary McDonough denied the grievance.…
Arbitration Local 17 Considers Challenging VA Over Time-Consuming Reinvestigations
If the membership of Local 17 approves, Local 17 will pursue arbitration to argue for proration or overtime compensation for time spent on the reinvestigation kerfuffle.
Arbitration May 7th Town Hall Discussion: The Impact of Our Union Arbitration Victory
Local 17 is happy to invite you to our Union Town Hall Meeting. Details are below:
Arbitration Promotion Denied: Unveiling BVA's Unlawful Blockade of Attorney Promotions
The Union has recently concluded an arbitration addressing the Board's unilateral changes to the productivity element in the attorney performance plan and the promotion criteria. As presented during…
Negotiations Telework Tensions: Local 17's Perspective on McDonough's 50% In-Office Proposal
As you may be aware, the Union and the Department are currently in negotiations over the Secretary’s proposed plan of 50% in-office attendance for bargaining unit employees. It's essential to note…