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Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Tell DFC to Respect Employees’ Organizing, Whistleblower Rights
December 18, 2023
Categories:
The Insider
The co-chairs of the Congressional Labor Caucus have expressed concerns over reports of retaliation from Development Finance Corporation (DFC) management against employees who are involved in union organizing and whistleblower activity.
In a letter to DFC CEO Scott Nathan, Reps. Donald Norcross, Debbie Dingell, Steven Horsford, and Mark Pocan mentioned a recent DFC Office of Inspector General report confirming a whistleblower retaliation case and the fact that a full report of the findings regarding the incident was never released.
“Additionally, we have received reports of retaliation against employees, including union officers, for engaging in labor organizing activities that are legally protected under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute,” said the co-chairs. “Not only would such retaliation be illegal, but such actions would also fly in opposition to the Biden Administration’s stated goal of being the most pro-labor Administration in history. Taken together, we are concerned about a pattern of prohibited retaliation against workers at the DFC and urge DFC management to swiftly correct this issue.”
The lawmakers also requested a report on what steps DFC management is taking to address the issues to make sure retaliation doesn’t continue.
“It is critical that DFC management respects employees’ organizing and whistleblower rights, and we urge you to investigate and address these concerning allegations as soon as possible,” they wrote.
AFGE Local 1534 Vice President for DFC Sudhir Paladugu said there already was a climate of fear and retaliation that resulted from the pattern of whistleblower retaliation cases at the DFC, so it was not a complete surprise when management engaged in multiple forms of harassment including unsubstantiated criticisms, failed performance ratings, revocations of telework, reassignment of responsibilities, and isolation from teamwork.
“Being gaslighted, obstructed and isolated on a daily basis for unionizing isn’t right,” said Paladugu. "It definitely doesn't feel nice to have a manager tell you they’re not happy with your work but avoid telling you why. But in a way, that's a sign of progress. I know they can't fire all of us without cause and I can sense the hesitation on the other side now that we’ve signed up over 110 union members.”
DFC was created in 2019 under the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act to help fund infrastructure, technology, energy, and healthcare projects in developing countries. It was merged with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a division of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The agency has had several other issues for years, including a lack of career advancement for career staff, opaque hiring practices where outside candidates are routinely hired noncompetitively, and burrowing of political appointees into permanent non-political federal positions.
The union at DFC had been in disarray for years since it was OPIC, having only four active members. The local was revived in January this year in response to employees’ concerns over rushed reorganization that sought to reassign employees to areas of work they had no expertise in, among other things. Within four months, they signed up over 60 new members.
Local officers, however, knew the risks they were taking to restart the local and actively engage in labor organizing. Despite harassment and retaliation, union officers are convinced their cause is worth it and progress is being made.
“There was a group of us who decided early on that we could easily find another job, but we wanted to at least try improving working conditions before leaving,” Paladugu added. “And as bad as things feel for me, my heart goes out to all the people with families and dependents who have to live with this fear. They shouldn’t be subjected to this grinding anxiety, and they’re a big reason I’m up for this.”
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