Telework Cancellation at OIT: Grievance Filed by Local 17
Local 17 has just filed a Step 2 Grievance with Cassandra Heiges, area manager for the Office of Information and Technology, over her sudden Telework Cancellation at OIT and recall of employees to the office. The Grievance states that the Department has not shown that it has a valid operational need for the cancellation and recall, that it failed to give employees “reasonable advance notice,” and that it failed to bargain with the Union in good faith. The grievance states that Ms. Heiges’ actions violated the Master Agreement and are an unfair labor practice under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute.
For years, OIT’s employees had been on ad hoc telework schedules in which they alternated one week in the office with one week of telework. There were no problems with office performance. Nevertheless, in April, management proposed to cancel all telework for a five-month period. Local 17 filed a Demand to Bargain and a briefing was held. However, on Friday May 3rd at 2:20pm, before the Union could even submit its proposals, and prior to any negotiations, Ms. Heiges notified employees about the Telework Cancellation at OIT and that they must report to the office the following Monday. This gave them almost no time to get their affairs in order. Heiges’ notice ended with the veiled threat, “Failure to report to the office onsite or to request leave properly may result in appropriate action.”
The Union will continue to provide updates as things unfold. In the meantime, the 2024 All Employee Survey is open from May 6 to May 28th. We strongly urge all OIT employees to make their feelings about management’s disrespect for them known in the AES survey.
Click or tap on each image of the Telework Cancellation at OIT Grievance below to open to full size
A button to download the Telework Cancellation at OIT Grievance as a PDF is at the bottom.
