Monthly Archives: April 2015
THE ADA AND TELEWORK A federal circuit court just issued a decision undercutting the right of employees to ask for telework as a “reasonable accommodation” for a disability. But it is not as bad for disabled employees as a lot … Continue reading
HOW SHOULD UNIONS RUN THEIR INVESTMENT PROGRAMS? The quick answer is, “Very carefully.” A slightly longer answer is, “The opposite of what Madoff was allowed to do.” The four biggest federal sector unions have reported over $50 million in investments … Continue reading
THANKS, VIC. WE WILL MISS YOU. Please excuse the briefest of sentimental moments on our part. Vic Gotbaum died last week, ending his monumental stream of contributions to American labor unions, and we want to help folks remember what he … Continue reading
FLRA’S POWERPOINTS & ULP LAW OUTLINES We have never been shy about taking a shot at FLRA for its incredibly slow pace at processing cases. All too often agency back pay liabilities have doubled just waiting for FLRA to uphold … Continue reading
WHAT CHELIOTES JUST SHOWED ALL UNION LEADERS Arthur Cheliotes is the President of Local 1180 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). It is an unusual union local because 1180 represents over 1,000 managers working for New York City. The … Continue reading
NEGOTIABLITY: NOW, THE BAD NEWS FLRA just had a chance to apply a big chunk of common sense to federal sector labor relations, but took a pass. See NTEU, 68 FLRA 334 (2015). Here is the situation. Agencies have the … Continue reading
OPM’S COMPETITIVE SELECTION AVATARS Last week the Washington Post reported that OPM has begun using avatars to measure the aptitude of people applying for federal jobs. The Post wrote that the system, “…uses animated avatars and videos to simulate challenges that … Continue reading
UNION POWER: YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW Every American school kid learns that one reason the Brits lost the American Revolution was that its tactics that once worked so well for them, did not work on the American battle field. Brightly … Continue reading