Institutional Grievances:
The Next Phase in Our Fight for Terminated Probationary Employees
 
Last week, thousands of our friends and coworkers were fired for one reason and only one reason: They were probationary or trial employees. The arbitrary firing of thousands of federal employees is appalling—and illegal. We’ve been litigating this issue on multiple fronts:

1. The first phase was our lawsuit, where an NTEU-led coalition of unions argued in court for emergency relief. Although the coalition made a strong case of irreparable harm, the judge unfortunately denied the unions’ request, saying that he believed the unions must first bring their case to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA). NTEU continues to press our case in court.
    
2. The second phase is a combination of claims filed at the Office of Special Counsel, Merit Systems Protection Board, and Institutional Grievances. Yesterday, we sent you information on the Office of Special Counsel claim and how you can join that case. Today, we concentrate on Institutional Grievances.

The judge in our lawsuit found that some of our claims must proceed through the FLRA. This means filing grievances, and we have begun these counterattacks through the administrative process.
 
NTEU will be filing institutional grievances at every agency where probationary and trial employees have been terminated. Those grievances will challenge the agency’s actions based on law and contract. Keep in mind:

• NTEU represents all bargaining unit employees in the 37 agencies and departments where the union is the exclusive bargaining representative.
   
• Bargaining unit employees do not have to take any action to be covered by the union’s grievances.
   
• NTEU will request all available remedies under the law, to include returning probationary and trial employees to work. Plus, back pay for those improperly fired.

Right now, our best position to fight the administration’s attacks on employees is to use all avenues, including the courts and the grievance-arbitration process. We continue to actively discuss the full scope of our legal options with other unions, like-minded organizations, law firms and coalitions at every level.

Tomorrow, we will send you messaging about the Merit Systems Protection Board—yet another path to vigorously fight back against these illegal terminations.

We will continue to keep you informed. If you have not yet filled out NTEU’s form gathering information from terminated NTEU members, please do so now.