IFPTE International Files Unfair Labor Practice - Raises Alarm as Army, DOD Ignore NCR Obligations

IFPTE filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Army after identifying over 30 instances where both the DoD and the Army have failed to honor IFPTE’s National Consultation Rights (NCR). NCR rights provide that unions representing a substantial number of workers in a given agency must be given advance notice of national policy changes that affect conditions of employment, and an opportunity to comment before the change takes effect. 

Thomas Topi, President of IFPTE Local 97 and Chairman of the IFPTE ACE Council, said, “Nobody believes in the work that we do and the missions of our agencies more than us, the workers. Honoring our National Consultation Rights allows us to catch (in advance) changes that would violate the law and existing regulations and/or undermine agency efficiency, services to taxpayers, and effectiveness. We were denied that opportunity in this case, and our missions have been harmed as a result.” 

Colin Smalley, President of IFPTE Local 777 and a Director of the IFPTE ACE Council, said, “Neither DoD nor the Army has followed the process to terminate our National Consultation Rights, so by law, they need to continue consulting with us. As dedicated public servants, the DoD and Army civilian workers represented by IFPTE voted to have a union in their workplaces — the heads of our agencies should respect these workers.” 

IFPTE will continue to fight on behalf of all members, including those employed in the federal sector by the DOD who have been targeted by the Trump Administration’s attacks on civil servants and their unions.