Yet again RMA employees have been treated to a spectacle of secretive behavior and less than scrupulous manipulation, coming from the bowels of the “front office.”

On Monday, January 31st it was clear to all that the Kansas City Metro area faced a potentially severe and critical weather situation. Around noon on that day, the Union offered, in a spirit of cooperation, to work with management on finding a solution for this situation. The Union suggested that all employees be notified that if they had concerns about driving in inclement weather, they should be given the opportunity to work from home, and that this emergency “telework” would not count towards the negotiated limit of telework days in a pay period. The Union provided not only employee’s safety, but also the agency’s coverage as rationale for this proposal. It was evident on that day that the impending inclement weather would paralyze operations across the metro area for a number of days, and the Union held that it would be in everybody’s interest to relax the limits on the number of telework days in a pay period. Senior Management rejected the Union’s proposal, referring to the negotiated agreement as a basis for their decision. In a demagogical move, management invented a term “liberal leave/Telework” [sic] and applied it to the ability (already granted by the contract) to switch telework days with management’s approval. Shortly thereafter, employees began to receive mystifying emails from their immediate supervisors, all bearing on their individual interpretations of “liberal Telework” [sic] that would be in place the following day.

On Tuesday, February 1st those employees that did come to the office spent most of their time trying to assess road and weather conditions, and determine how RMA would be affected by them, when RMA Intranet first announced around 10 AM that the building was closed, and then — lo and behold! — not more than two hours later, the mysterious term “unscheduled leave/telework” flashed on employee’s screens. The Union was again barraged with questions; employees that drove to work were obviously not under the impression that they were teleworking, how could they now be on liberal or unscheduled telework? When attempting to clarify this, the Union was informed that “unscheduled telework” meant that employees who were in the office could leave, but were expected to continue working once they arrived at home (if they ever made to their doorstep). That afternoon, when the Federal Executive Board (FEB) made the recommendation that all federal offices in the Kansas City metro area be closed on Wednesday, February 2nd, the Union was contacted by RMA Senior Management, who proposed that, contrary to the provisions of the negotiated telework agreement, bargaining unit employees not be granted administrative leave during the period for which the building would not be in operation, but be required to work at home.

The Union was frankly thunderstruck upon hearing that senior Management’s position had undergone such a rapid and radical transformation from a position of extreme and sclerotic inflexibility with an almost dogmatic adherence to the negotiated limits on telework to their sudden willingness to disregard the provision in the negotiated agreement that states that “…if an emergency affects either worksite for a major portion of the workday then the teleworking employee shall be granted an excused absence under the same terms and conditions as employees in the official duty station.” The Union, which represents the interests of bargaining unit employees did not believe that this compromise would in any way, shape, or form benefit bargaining unit employees.

Every relationship involves two partners and a “give and take,” and Senior Management, as usual, wanted only to take, but not give.

It is disheartening to again be met with the complete indifference of Senior Management on the subject of the safety and interests of bargaining unit employees, despite their grand (but oh so hollow-sounding!) annual declarations of appreciation for them.

This message should hopefully bring a halt to any of the specious messages coming from Senior Management and quell any doubts and questions concerning the Union’s role on this matter.

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