Category Archives: MSPB

FOUR FREE TRAINING VIDEOS The Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) has posted several videos on its YouTube page that union reps will find helpful to understanding the larger arena of federal personnel law.  We recommend the following: The Merit … Continue reading

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JUST A REMINDER ABOUT RETIREMENT AND TERMINATION An employee who retires after the agency issues its decision to remove him, but before the effective date of the removal, may still appeal his removal to the Board. Mays v. Department of Transportation, … Continue reading

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MSPB CHANGES SIXTH DOUGLAS FACTOR’S MEANING If a union rep cannot undermine the agency’s evidence that the employee committed the alleged disciplinary infraction, then s/he uses the “Douglas Factors” to argue that even though guilty the employee’s penalty should be … Continue reading

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WHEN TO APPEAL AN ARBITRATION LOSS TO MSPB/EEOC, NOT FLRA FLRA recently reminded union leaders that under 5 USC 7122(a) it does not have jurisdiction to review arbitration decisions involving adverse actions.  In AFGE and Dep’t. of Veteran Affairs, 73 … Continue reading

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MSPB EXPANDS ACCUSED EMPLOYEE’S RIGHT TO INFORMATION  A Homeland Security Agent was fired for falsifying an official form.  When he tried to defend himself by pointing out how supervisory employees who committed the same offense were not fired, DHS management … Continue reading

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UNION REP TEST #8 (Part 2) – Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPP)  This continues the self-assessment of your knowledge of prohibited personnel practices. Read through the hypothetical situations provided under each PPP and decide what you think.  The correct responses are … Continue reading

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PRESIDENT PUNISHES NONUNION EMPLOYEES One of the great benefits that unionized federal employees have is that they can appeal any disciplinary action to a neutral arbitrator–from a written reprimand to a removal. In addition, unionized employees can get a decision … Continue reading

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MSPB NEEDLESSLY EMBARRASSED THIS FDIC EMPLOYEE Not long ago we ran across an MSPB case filed by an FDIC manager challenging his demotion and reassignment for having a sexual relationship with a bargaining unit employee who reported to him. Although … Continue reading

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NEW EVIDENCE OVERTURNS A COERCED RESIGNATION Not long ago the MSPB overturned a resignation when the employee brought new evidence up after the hearing before the MSPB judge ruled. The Board accepted the evidence and also explained why it thought … Continue reading

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MSPB EXHUMES ITS “MANIFEST ABSURDITY” DOCTRINE How ironic that just a few short months after stripping federal employees of any right to challenge the substance or design of a furlough, suddenly the Board is concerned with absurdities.  The case involved … Continue reading

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