Following up a step one grievance filed by Dallas officers Chrestotholos and Gallerini, Local 1998 filed a step two grievance encompassing all passport offices.  At issue is employees being denied mileage expenses when they are called in to work after-hours to handle duty officer cases

NFFE President Randy Erwin was temporarily arrested by Capitol Police after refusing to leave the Senate Majority Leader’s offices, and demanding a meeting to end the government shutdown. The arrests came after a protest in the Senate Hart Building in which hundreds of federal employees joined labor leaders.

The 30-day period for the Agency to allege provisions in the new bargaining agreement contrary to law has now passed.  The new black-covered bargaining agreement replaces the (burgundy-colored version that first went into effect in 2009.

An arbitrator ruled on the question of whether Management enjoys unlimited freedom to edit forms referenced in the contract that impact employees.  Aribitrator McConnell ruled that the Agency’s edits to the Garrity and Kalkines forms were improper, requiring notification to the union. The Agency was ruled responsible for all arbitration fees.