BWANA ABBOTT’S SAFARI
One of FLRA’s surviving Trump appointees, Jim Abbott, is the labor law equivalent of the great white hunters of Colonial Africa who ravaged its wildlife and exploited its population just for the fun of it- or maybe it was just to prove their manhood to themselves and others. In Jim’s case, he is arguably out to kill off any and every legal precedent that grants a benefit to employees or unions. His current safari plans include bagging the legendary Laffey Matrix, protected by long-standing FLRA precedent. For those of you unfamiliar with this particular species of the federal labor law Serengeti, it is a magnificent beast. It often forces agencies to pay union attorneys up to $919.00 for each hour they spend on an arbitration, ULP, MSPB or EEOC victory, no matter how competent the attorney, how routine their work, or how little their union actually pays them. Because that almost never exceeds $125.00 an hour, it generates a very nice, non-dues income flow for unions. So, we thought we would share with you how we see Bwana Jim (BJ) stalking his prey despite several legal barriers protecting the Laffey. Continue reading →