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Shaun Southworth leading a federal employment training session with members of the Southworth PC team
 

The IRS Restored Union Email for Managers and Left It Blocked for Bargaining Unit Employees

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Your right to a union representative in a federal adverse action case is only as good as your ability to reach that representative — and at the IRS, Government Executive reports, t...

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A Federal Judge Blocked the VA From Ending Its AFGE Contract — Again

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A federal judge has blocked the VA from ending its union contract with the American Federation of Government Employees — the third time this year the same court has stopped the sam...

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VA Union Contract and August 8: What the Master Agreement Actually Says

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The AFGE–VA master agreement reaches its three-year terminal date on August 8, 2026, and whether the contract ends that day comes down to a single paragraph that most coverage has ...

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IRS Ordered to Restore Telework After Walking Out of Its Own Arbitration

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Federal employees at the IRS just won a major telework fight — and the agency didn't even show up to defend itself. An independent arbitrator ruled that the IRS violated its collec...

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Arbitrator Orders Forest Service to Restore Telework for 20,000 Employees

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An arbitrator has ordered the U.S. Forest Service to restore telework and remote work agreements for close to 20,000 employees represented by the National Federation of Federal Emp...

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Federal Court Blocks FLRA From Stripping Career Staff of Union Election Authority

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For once, the news out of the Federal Labor Relations Authority is good for federal employees and their unions.

Background: More Than 40 Years of Career Oversight

Since 1983, car...

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IRS Union Flag Lawsuit and Federal Speech Rights

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A new lawsuit by the National Treasury Employees Union against the IRS raises a question many federal employees have felt in quieter ways: what speech is still protected when it ap...

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Federal Telework and Rising Gas Costs

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Federal employees are being asked to absorb a commute shock that is not just inconvenient—it is financially destabilizing. Recent reports place the national average for regular gas...

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FLRA Rule Change: What It Means for Union Rights

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A recent rule change by the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) quietly alters a process that has remained stable for more than four decades. Historically, union representatio...

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VA Arbitration Ruling Reinforces Union Rights

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Recent reports involving senior military promotions raise a deeper concern that extends beyond any single agency: the erosion of merit-based decision-making. Allegations that promo...

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Forest Service Reorganization and Union Rights

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The Forest Service’s planned reorganization is not just another agency reshuffle. It is a live example of how much collective bargaining can matter when federal employees are told ...

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VA Union Contract Stay: What It Means Now

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When agencies and courts move quickly, uncertainty follows. Right now, VA employees are asking a simple but urgent question: does the union contract still apply while the case is o...

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