In response to a letter by two Republican members of Congress calling on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to bring back all staff to their physical offices immediately, AFGE is urging the agency not to rush employees back to offices without adequate safety measures and time to engage in good faith bargaining with the union.
In an April 20 letter to members of Congress, AFGE asks the lawmakers to urge the EEOC to negotiate fairly with the union.
“The union supports ensuring coverage of in-person service options but opposes the one size fits all approach, the failure to capture innovations learned during the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the lack of required processes that assure safety and compliance with bargaining obligations,” AFGE said in the letter. “As we plan for reentry into physical offices, it is critical that EEOC not stifle the voice of employees by excluding the union from the process.”
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, EEOC employees have worked to carry out the agency’s civil rights mission. Through telework, EEOC employees were equipped and able to serve the public when the offices were closed due to the deadly virus. As EEOC spokesman Victor Chen told reporters, “While our physical offices are closed, all of our services have been available virtually, and we have continued to serve the public throughout the pandemic.”
To promote safety and a hybrid workplace, here’s what the agency should do:
The union is eager to work with EEOC on a safe and orderly reentry process. We envision every office reopened to provide in-person service options to the public, but in a manner that does not require every staff member to be in the office every day. EEOC’s hybrid workplace can serve the public and expand workplace flexibilities for EEOC staff.
“The union’s objectives, consistent with those asserted by the Biden administration, are to ensure office safety and embrace innovations, such as expanded telework.”
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