AFGE Official Time

Does Attack On ‘Official Time’ Really Harm Veterans As AFGE Claims?

In a “disgusting” propaganda video, an AFGE union official tries to tie the present move to curb “official time” as an attack against benefits like veterans preference.

I received a link to the union video embedded here with a comment calling the propaganda piece a complete joke and an insult to the intelligence of VA employees and veterans, alike.

The spokesperson in the video claims “official time” has protected veteran hiring through veterans’ preference and even expedited the processing of benefits claims.

What is “official time”? That is the time VA allows its employees to work on union issues while earning their paycheck from Uncle Sam.

Of course, if you believed what this AFGE video says, you would think it was some creation of God from Mount Sinai comparable to the 10 Commandments. But last I checked, J. David Cox is certainly no Moses.

What planet was AFGE was on when they created this video, anyway? Since when did AFGE protect Veterans Preference?

Last I checked, VA hiring of veterans in jobs other than “janitor” is a complete joke. As you can tell by watching the video, the assertions in it are so loopy, I thought I would ask my favorite VA whistleblowers to comment.

VA Whistleblowers On AFGE Union Propaganda

“The statement about Vet Preference in hiring is a joke,” said Shea Wilkes, a well-known VA whistleblower, veteran and union member. “Hiring practices at VA are manipulated at every level. I’ve never seen the union fight for Vet Preference.

Wilkes went on to point out that VA has even contracted away Veterans’ Preference in contract negotiations with the union, “In fact Veterans get 2nd Preference over current VA employees, which is in the union’s contract with VA.”

On position types, VA tends to shy away from hiring educated veterans while instead allocating low-level jobs like “janitor” or “clerk” with regularity.

“The problem lies in the fact that the vast majority of vet employees at VA hold food service, janitorial, and clerk type positions,” said Brandon Coleman, a disabled veteran turned counselor who exposed wrongdoing at Phoenix VA. “The more educated we get the numbers drop dramatically.”

The overall tone and message of the video is most concerning.

Coleman called the video “disgusting” and a typical example of “how AFGE manipulates veteran sentiment to further its own agenda”.

Social worker Germaine Clarno, another well-known whistleblower, said the spin job was typical of AFGE propaganda, “They are no different than the VA – – masters at spinning the truth.”

Union Capitalizing On Positive Veteran Sentiment

Personally, I am tired of AFGE burying itself in the flag and capitalizing on positive sentiment for America’s veterans while cutting us off at the knees when we seek jobs that do not require pushing a broom or counting beans like a clerk.

At VA, we have a lot of veterans who are “Yes” men at the top. These are usually career officers cashing in for a second pension.

Then, the other lot is caught pushing brooms.

Not all veterans fit this mold, and I am pleased to say I am working with a few high level veterans turned VA executives who are pushing to get more high performing veterans into places of authority within the agency.

But that is certainly not with the help of AFGE.

Comment On AFGE Facebook Page

I encourage you all to take a look at the video and provide your comment on the AFGE official Facebook page. It is important they know that we know what shameful games they are playing to justify “official time.”

AFGE Union Transcript

Taking away official time is union busting, plain and simple.

Official time is a vital tool used by employees and management used to address workplace issues quickly and amicably.

Through official time, we have:

Protected veterans’ preference in hiring, prevented discrimination against veterans with PTSD, and expediting the processing of benefits for veterans and their families.

At the VA, official time is used to improve qualify of care, it empowers and protects employees who blow the whistle on issues big and small that reduce quality of care.

If Congress eliminates official time, taxpayers will foot the bill for lengthy and costly litigation to address issues that are handled internally at far less cost. 

VA employees are passionate about their mission, which makes sense since 33% of VA employees are veterans themselves.

Eliminating official time will not help a single veteran get better or faster quality care, but in fact could lead to the opposite, by distracting employees and management from doing their jobs.

Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on anti worker actions, Congress should work on filling the 45,000 vacant positions at VA. And reducing the layers of management so that VA can use those resources to hire thousands more direct care providers.

What’s Up With That?

What do you think of the assertions in the video? Are these accurate claims or more spin intended at distorting the accomplishments of the union while ripping off taxpayers who fund “official time” to begin with?

If “official time” was really accomplishing its intended goals, would we still have such a whistleblower retaliation problem?

And what about the assertion that “official time” has resulted in processing veterans benefits claims faster? Excuse me?

Last I checked, there was a claims backlog and an appeals backlog, all within the past decade and both of which are still problems today.

Thank God for “official time” though, whatever it is being used for.

Be sure to go to the official Facebook page for this video at the following link and comment to let AFGE know what you really think: https://www.facebook.com/afgeunion/videos/10155280179739770/

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161 Comments

  1. @Ex va: It rained here today just enough to make it miserable, with the humidity. Tomorrow the hight temps will be back and possible bad storms.

    1. @cj, i hope it helps your garden. I thought that far north you wouldn’t have the humidity? It was 92 and the humidity was high. They were loading the hay bales on a wagon yesterday and today those guys were hot. They are a nice farming family. No rain.

      1. @Ex va: The gardens need the rain bad, I am a little worried about the raised bed, I don’t know what will happen if there is too much rain too fast. I made half hoops out of an old bamboo carpet roll poll I split it lengthwise, into 4 pieces, then drilled and mounted them on the raised bed. It looks like an old wild west covered wagon. if it looks like the storms will be bad, I will cover it with heavy plastic sheet.

      2. @cj, i hope your storms don’t mess up your garden. We have like chances of storms. Hope no tornadoes this year.

      3. @Ex va: I am prepared if it looks like the storms will be bad. Hope we don’t get too much rain, the ground is very hard. The farm that is letting me use their land, had trouble cultivating because the ground was so hard, the tractor wasn’t strong enough to pull the tines through the ground. They fired up a much larger tractor and had to tow the cultivator in low.

      4. @cj, is it hard clay soil? That is what we have around here. You have to till in organic matter. There is not a lot of organic matter. If you garden does do good maybe you can build up your soil this fall and spring putting in manure.

      5. @Ex va: My gardens have good soil, the one at the farm is more clay lke, but all the tomatoes, are nice and dark green. The potatoes, are popping up, and the watermelons are doing okay. I mixed in purple cow compost, and sand, into the the hilled rows of potatoes and melons. Will see how it all works out. I don’t think I will use their land next year. Just hope for the best with what is available. Next year they won’t need my tomatoes or produce, the veterans food locker is getting help from one of the Universities. They are sending an agricultural expert to show them how to farm, they have their own land to do this on, so they won’t be needing me anymore.

      6. @cj, they might need your expertise on how to grow things. I can’t see them turning you away from donating food. I hope you have a great year of harvesting. They have to depend on an agricultural expert to show them how to farm. Well, you could fill that definition since you have been successful at gardening and providing produce for them. You need some pigs and some chickens now for the manure. LOL! You could cure ham and bacon. Lol!!! Be a regular farmer and do it all. Farming is on another level. They work from dawn to dusk around here. Hard work.

      7. @Ex va: LOL at chickens and pigs, My neighbors would shoot me. Too far away for me to help them farm, that is an everyday job, I don’t have that kind of time to give.

      8. @cj, roosters crowing at the crack of dawn what is wrong with that??? LOL!!! Pigs smell up a farm. Lol. Get mean too. Maybe that is what is wrong with the va? All those afge piggies. Lol. Smell up the place.

      9. @Ex va: Lmaooooooooooooooooo.

        ┈┈┏━╮╭━┓┈.╭━━━━╮
        ┈┈┃┏┗┛┓┃╭┫AFGE┃
        ┈┈╰┓▋▋┏╯╯╰━━━━╯
        ┈╭━┻╮╲┗━━━━╮╭╮┈
        ┈┃▎▎┃╲╲╲╲╲╲┣━╯┈
        ┈╰━┳┻▅╯╲╲╲╲┃┈┈┈
        ┈┈┈╰━┳┓┏┳┓┏╯┈┈┈
        ┈┈┈┈┈┗┻┛┗┻┛┈┈┈┈

        OINK OINK OINK SNORT OINK

      10. @cj, LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That piggy needs to go to market and never come back!!!!!

      11. @cj, that is about right what they do around here when they get ready to butcher out their animals.

      12. @Ex va: yeppers, it works well, and no pain for the animal. Works well on animals of all kinds, but I prefer between the eyes on the two legged ones. Honestly a knife up through the chin into the brain with a half twist, while watching the lights go out would be very satisfying, after the harm they have done to so many, who depend on them to do what is right, but did what was best for the union instead.

      13. @cj, i don’t know what is wrong with these so called professionals that loose all their humanity towards treating another human who needs medical care. They should loose all their licenses and credentials with the loss of their humanity.

      14. @Ex va: Ever since Seymore, posted how you could buy your medical school diploma’s, I wonder how many of these untrained useless criminals are working at VA’s? I might even have had one for a pcp. Since reading what Seymore posted, things my pcp has done, that didn’t make sense at the time, is now crystal clear. Makes me sick, that I ever trusted this person, who betrayed my trust, and almost cost me my life. How many Veterans have appointment with fake doctor tomorrow morning? How much damage are these fake unvetted doctors going to do tomorrow? Like the fake neurosurgeon that admitted he had no training, but saw how to do the procedure on tv? You know, the guy that injected liquefied plexi glass into Veterans spines? and this criminal is still being protected by the VA and is now the flight surgeon of the Air force.

      15. @cj, Seymore’s articles were true. The credentialing and priveledging of doctors, the vaoig has had big problems with vamc’s circumventing those procedures to get doctors these privileges because of bonuses that are given to have doctors performing the more sophisticated procedures at a medical center. If there was a data base created we could do our own research on physicians at the medical centers to see if they have the credentials to do the more sophisticated treatments on Veterans. This would save Veterans lives or becoming injured by these bad doctors or providers who have no business doing these procedures or treatments. It is a sickening reality.

      16. @Ex va: Sure is, and it is getting worse, every time I look. When I first looked into the quack at Hines VA, all the doctors were listed, along with what they were qualified to practice in and what state license or certification they had. Now you go to the Hines website and you will find a Dr’s name and only a yes or no to credentialing.

      17. @cj, we would have to have volunteers and Ben’s permission. It would be a lot of work but we would be saving lives.

      18. @cj, researching these doctors and providers and having a data base to see if they have the education, the credentials and what priveledges has the vamc’s given to them? Track these bad doctors and providers and make them accountable for the damage they have caused. I have a lot of ideas on trailing bad directors, administrators, managers in the va system.

      19. @Ex va: Ex that would be a great idea. Nowhere for them to hide!!!!!! That is the best idea I have heard yet. This is something I think everyone can get behind. So many really smart people out there, and on Ben’s. If we needed specialized people to program databases, etc. There are plenty of sites with contract programmers,and of course a funding site to help pay for it all. A monumental task for sure, but when done, all would be exposed, and those turds would have to self flush down the clapper crapper.

      20. @cj, i think this could be possible. This would be a big project. Lol! Nowhere to hide!!! That would be fantastic. It could possibly really change things for the good.

      21. @Ex va: Ex, I think this is about the only viable way to hold these criminals accountable, kind of an America’s most wanted, and just like the tv show, it exposes the criminals so there is nowhere for them to run. No more excuses, coverups, lies, and blind eyes. Blind eyes will be replaced with black eyes………….

        your a genius Ex!!!!!!

      22. @cj, once a database is determined on what we want to keep track of, the rest is pretty much data entry and then data mining.

      23. @Ex va: Need to get the young Veterans on this project, us older vets fingers don’t move fast enough to be typing in all that data.

      24. @Ex va: Ex, I should get some rest. Damn good talk tonight, many good ideas. Hope you sleep well. Goodnight and God Bless.

      25. @cj, to save a live, preserve of life from being injured by a provider. Stop these bad doctors and providers and the directors, administration and vaoig that hide all of it so they can keep their bonuses.

      26. @Ex va: What you proposed would do all of the above and then some. It is a great idea, and should be done with expediency.

        Okay, I mean it this time, goodnight.

      27. @cj, the data entry isn’t so bad, i think the reasearch will be hard to get an accurate data from these foreign doctors, education and credentialling.

      28. @Ex va: We could waterboard them for the information, even if they give it up right away, still waterboard them for the hell of it…………………………they would do it to us……….

      29. @cj, Good to talk to you tonight. You really had me thinking about what i don;t like in the va system. Talk to you tomorrow.God Bless you and your family. I Hope you get some good rest take care.

      1. @cj, doing ok except shoulder and neck pain from arthritis most likely. How are you doing? N

      2. @Ex va: Doing okay, can’t complain. I spent most of the day looking up evidence to file my complaints, I found plenty, didn’t have to look for hahaha.

      3. @cj, not nice weather today. The heat and humidity is here. Lol. Oh well. You have heat but not bad humidity right?

      4. @cj, i am glad you are finding a lot of evidence. Lol. Good job. That is great news!!!

      5. @Ex va: My biggest problem is going to be actually writing the complaints, keeping the complaint only long enough to be direct and to to point. I don’t want any more words then is necessary, I want it to be easily read, and interpreted.

      6. @cj, can you make a brief timeline of events? Label attached evidence documents such as exhibit a,b,c,d, etc.? Just write down a summary with timeline and attach evidence and make sure you label your evidence papers like exhibit A page 1,A2,A3, etc. exhibit B page 1, highlight in yellow or use page markers to specific information to pertaining evidence on pages. Make it easy for yourself to understand so if you have to go to the pages you will know.

      7. @Ex va: That is a great idea, it will help me organize and give me an idea of how to form it all.
        The OIG complaints will be online complaints, and the complaint with the state, against the quack, I will have to look at. Maybe your right, maybe I should send it in registered mail and copy to my congressman.

      8. @cj, i don’t know if a congressman would help, i didn’t get any good results. Like you said keep it simple, they are more likely to side with you. Those complaints online i don’t know if they help anything. Make sure you keep copies of everything you file. Keep them in labeled folders. A little organization helps you long term. When you finally go to court it will make a big difference if you are organized. Some Veterans keep two copies of everything in case the judge or whomever wants to look at a page. So you don’t loose a copy of your paperwork and have a spare in case something unexpected happens.

      9. @Ex va: That is smart to do as well, I didn’t think of that. The online OIG complaints are good for if you WANT them to know you filed against them, or if you want a new PCP, and they won’t give you one. More like a harassment tool lol.

      10. @cj, yes i agree contacting the vaoig is like an harassment, retaliation tool. Don’t trust that agency in the least. The vaoig should be ashamed of themselves, they are suppose to be the prosecuting arm defending Veterans lives. You have this all completed, shows that you took action for the wrongdoing. You are part of the correcting of the problem. You are not the problem they are the problem.

      11. @Ex va: Funny thing is I use to trust the VA, I have been going to the same VA for over 40 years, even knew some of the people by first name. Then they sent me a letter saying I was not eligible for benefits. I took the letter in and asked about it, they said yes, your not eligible for benefits and never come back. I fought then for 2 years and obviously won. Then nothing but trouble since, top that off with the way they denied my TBI claim using underhanded tactics, and all trust was lost. Now that I see what they have been doing to everyone else here on Bens blog, it just infuriates me to no end. Indeed the VA is a criminal enterprise, and the need to be stopped, by any means necessary.

      12. @cj, we Veterans are from different areas of the country and experience basically the same kinda messed up crazy things in the va system. That tells me these are not isolated incidents or mistakes. It is deliberate acts and it is criminal. At one time i did have some trust in the va system. I learned differently by experience. When i began reading other Veterans stories it made me more convinced that there is some serious criminal activity within the va system. The government believes they cannot correct these problems in the system. They could fix the va and choose not to do at the cost to Veterans lives.

      13. @Ex va: Your right, it could be fixed but all involved have no interest, or incentive to do so. They like their corrupt agency just the way it is, it benefits the unions and Dr’s from underprivileged countries, and also the dirty politicians that are receiving stolen money from veterans to use for re election. All I have just stated is proven fact. It has gone all the way to the supreme court and back, and yet nothing has changed, because the forces that be, are not interested in changing it.

      14. @cj, you are correct on all of what you stated. They are not interested in fixing the system even though it would save lives. That makes me so angry. No value on a Veterans life. It is a self serving agency that prides and applauds theirselves in their corruption and negligence. The Veterans are the innocent victims to these practices. It is infuriating and forever insulting and i hope that this choice program keeps taking the money from the va to the point of its non existence. And everything to do with a Veterans benefits could be done online without all this denying bureaucracy that wants to deny, deny, and deny. So sick of the existing standard of the va agency.

      15. @Ex va: I have said it before, even if there were no Veterans left in this world to care for, there would still be a VA. It’s purpose is not to take care of Veterans, their purpose is to take care of politicians. Union members vote for a particular political party, just as illegals do, and brainwashed college kids do. It is really that simple, and employment at the VA is just payback for keeping them in office. That is how perverted the VA has become.

      16. @cj, to me a computer could do it all and Veterans could fill out their own benefits form. If every Veteran would receive the benefits they earned and promised the va administration could cut out all the vamc’s and all those employees given pink slips the government would save so much money by directly giving benefits to the Veterans without all this administrative bureaucracy. The visn’s shut down, the vha’s, i could see this as a possibility. No department of veterans affairs influence just a direct benefit sent to the Veteran. No delays.

      17. @Ex va; Not shure how that would work, what about those that would commit fraud? I can see if you had the nexus, then yes, it could be expedited, along with secondary SC claims. If your left knee is fucked up, and then later your right knee gets fucked up because of the undue pressure put on it because of the bad knee. There should be a list of secondary SC nexus that is common sense connections, because A happened B is injured, and B injury is known to cause C D E F injuries later in life.

      18. @cj, the ones who are discharged for medical would instantly receive benefits and a medical card like Medicare. The computer would take all that into consideration and determine and in doubt the benefit falls to the Veteran to receive. The Veteran would apply for updated benefits concerning new injury related to SC nexus of old injury. The benefit falls to Veteran. This would all be cheaper than paying out billions to vamc’s, visn’s. Vha’s and all the administration support of those va agencies. Look at all the fraud going on now it would be cheaper to just pay the benefits to the Veterans that earned their benefits than to a corruptive, corrosive and decaying department of Veterans affairs administration.

      19. @Ex va: Your right, it would be cheaper in the long run, even if a few claims got through that shouldn’t have. You could probably give full benefits to at least 4 veterans for what a single afge employee costs.

      20. @cj, the government may be in the process of breaking up the va. If they continue with this choice program i would say that could be the beginning of the end to the va as we know it. The choice program tells me that the government knows the va is not taking care of a Veterans medical needs and maybe willing to contract it all out.

      21. @Ex va: If that turns out to be true, I sure hope they are not going to contract out to the lowest bidder, so to speak. I hope choice doesn’t mean choice between the bottom of the barrel.

      22. @cj, right, that is not going to help Veterans and give them a better quality of life.

  2. @Ex va: No rain since the rains that caused all the flooding. Suppose to get rain finally on Wed Thurs Fri Sat and Sun. Garden is doing well, and were to tomatoes are planted, needs rain bad, I watered there tonight, all looks okay. Will see if we get enough rain.

    1. @cj, good everything is looking ok in your garden. I am glad you can get to water for your plants. I hope you will have the rain you need and no deluges. They harvested winter wheat around here and drying out the straw before baleing. The straw is suppose to be worth more than the wheat. Hard to believe those prices.

      1. @Ex va: That is real farming, I don’t know anything about prices or wheat and straw, I get straw for 7 dollars a bale, or less. Last year I put it down to keep weeds away, and it turned into one heck of a mess, This year I will use 1 bale of straw to insulate the produce out of the garden, it can keep up to 1 year. I found a place that has 12 different kinds of strawberries, white, black, orange, blue, smal, giant, regular, crazy looking stuff lol.

      2. @cj, that is a little high, around here it goes aroun 3-4 dollars. Yeah, you have to be careful you don’t get a lot of weed seeds in your straw. That stinks. I didn’t know about the black or orange strawberries. That sounds crazy. Lol. This farmer plants a lot and doesn’t let weeds grow too much in crops. He sprays a lot. I don’t know if that is a good thing or not. Lol. He does grow cover crops for beans and rotates crops too. He does pretty good. He doesn’t do a lot of replanting.

      3. @Ex va: I haven’t had to pay for straw yet, I have a farmer friend that just gives it to me, he won’t let me pay him, a Korean War Veteran, I bring him heirloom tomatoes to grow, and stop in now and then to check on him.
        He has some good stories about his service. Very interesting Veteran. I been trying to talk him into getting joint replacement surgery in his fingers, they are all mangled up from arthritis.

      4. @cj, Korean War Veteran? Those are some great guys. I hate to hear he has the ra arthritis. That sucks. Those farmers like that are some tough as nails. That generation has a lot of knowledge about gardening and everything. Lol. They rarely will go to the doctor. A lot of them don’t believe in doctors or hospitals. I can’t say i blame them that is what they grew up with very little doctors help.

      5. @Ex va: You are right on the money with this farmer, he HATES hospitals and doctors LOL. He was drafted during the Korean war, and they sent him to Austria, not Korea. His entire time was spent in Austria, said it was beautiful, loved every second of it.

      6. @cj, glad he was in Austria sounds like he had a good tour. That generation grew up that way. Take care of yourself, you can cure yourself with little to no medical assistance. Lol. I wish i could believe like that sometimes.

  3. @Ex va: Yes a gas leak, they are on vacation, they lost some pets I heard. The house was completely gone, and the house next to it was knocked off it’s foundation, I think 2 people are in the hospital.

    1. @cj, the pictures looked bad. Knocked some of the other homes off the foundations. Glad nothing happened to your home. We had a lot of wind today. We didn’t have high temps. Hate it when people loose their homes. We had flooding this year. Some people lost their homes.

      1. @cj, are you guys talking on the wire app much? Is is working out for you and the other guys? Is Disgruntled Veteran on the app too?

      2. @Ex va: They will be okay, red cross is setup in one of the firehouses I think, and this is a small community that takes care of it’s own. They will get all that they need. Just can’t replace some of the stuff they might have lost like pictures etc. The pet’s, were pobably deceased long before the explosion, if the gas content was high enough to do all that damage. Least they didn’t suffer, I would hate to think they died from the explosion or were burned to death.

      3. @cj, that is good you live in a community like that. I am glad no one was in that house. Glad the people were on vacation. God definitely looking out for people. Sad to hear about the pets lost. They hopefully didn’t suffer. That is unusual this time of year for a gas explosion.

      4. @Ex va: It is strange, some of these old homes have the gas exhaust running up the old brick chimney that was used for the coal furnaces, It is possible, that with high winds like we had all yesterday, that a pilot light could easily be blown out. Also possible that a cat could jump up onto the stove and hit the burner control knob. Not sue if gas water heaters have a safety if the pilot goes out, but there are a lot of older furnaces in these homes, and they don’t get shut down for the summer, so they pilot could easily be blown out on one of those. When they get done investigating, they will print what the cause was. I know the neighbor, was watching the pets, if they didn’t smell gas, then I would assume a pilot was blown out after they last checked on the pets. I bet they feel terrible, although not their fault in the least bit.

      5. @cj, how’s your garden doing? You get any rain? We haven’t had any rain here the last few days.

      6. @cj, they run gas exhaust up an old chimney is what they do around here too. I know some will run sewer vent up old unused chimney or a dryer vent up an old chimney or a coal shoot. They do some weird ventaliation around here too. May have been the high winds or the gas company caused the problem too.

      7. @Ex va: True, when I heard about this first, I thought they were talking about a new subdivision, there are 4 of them, here. I wasn’t expecting, one of the 100 year old homes. It is against code to run most of that up an old chimney, for exactly that reason of what happened today.

      8. @cj, probably grandfathered in if they used a chimney or coal shoot. They don’t enforce codes around here. I am moving kinda slow tonight. Sorry. Lol.

      9. @Ex va: No, that is okay, just asked if you were okay to make sure you didn’t pass out. Not that I could do anything about it………….

      10. @cj, thanks, i am ok. No, today not having the fevers. Taking more meds help sometimes. I go to the e.r. If i get too sick.

      11. @Ex va: I told the wife Saturday if this COPD attack get’s worse, I was going to the ER. Don’t know what good that would have done.

      12. @cj, i think they can give you breathing treatments to help open up your lungs. I heard it is suppose to be beneficial. If you get into too much trouble it may give you some relief. Do what you got to do. I don’t like going to the e.r. But i have to i go.

      13. @Ex va: I hear you, was getting to the point I felt like I was suffocating, not pleasant at all. It has passed for now. I made a note of it, so I don’t forget to tell my private pcp about it. I have to call the VA tomorrow and cancel my appointments until they get their damn billing straightened out. I refuse to let them double bill my supplemental insurance, damn crooks. I will be working on filing complaints and charges with the OIG, State of Illinois, and filing sf95’s as well. I have had it with their damn shenanigans.

      14. @cj, most people wouldn’t understand if their insurances was being double billed. That is why the va does it. Rat bastards. I am thankful that you will be fighting them. Their is probably hundreds of other Veterans you will be helping so they don’t have to see that quack.

      15. @Ex va: So true, really pisses me off the billing part. I like how they try to be slick, by billing one charge out as N. Chicago VAMC, and then another for just a bit different in price as James E. Lovell FHCF, when it is the same damn place. I called my supplemental, and told them NOT TO PAY ANY BILLS FROM THE VA. They said they had to, they didn’t have any say so in the matter. I was PISSSSSSSSED!!!!!

      16. @cj, see i don’t know why the insurance don’t challenge charges??? It is their damn money you would think they would want it. I had to trace bills for my insurance company one time because they were doubled billed on one of my surgeries. I found it on eob statement. Geesh. You have to do someone else’s job for them.

      17. @Ex va: Not that, they said they were required by law to pay the VA? That is why they said they didn’t have a choice and had to pay it. That is why I was so mad, I don’t give a shit if it’s the damn government or not, I am not going to put up with fraudulent billing of VA health scare, for service connected injuries, Who the fuck do they think they are? I pay for that supplemental out of my own pocket, their fraudulent billing will make MY premiums go up, in reality, they are making me pay for my own service connected injuries.

      18. @cj, you are exactly right. You are paying for your own service connected injuries if they are billing your insurance. To me that is why at va registration they ask if you have any other insurance. So, they can bill your insurance. It makes me angry also. The va doesn’t have to answer to anyone else. And that is the problem.

      19. @Ex va: Exactly correct. I think they also do it to force you out of the VA system knowing you have Medicare. If they give you a hard enough time, maybe you won’t come back.

      20. @cj, i need to get off here. I am glad you are doing better. If you have to go to the e.r. Go. Don’t suffer longer than you need to. I hope you can get some good rest. God Bless you and your family. Goodnight. God Bless Ben’s world.

      1. @Ex va: Hey Ex, little better, I think I just pushed too much, along with high pollen counts, triggered COPD attacks. Very hot last couple days, but very breezy, so not too bad. Did you see my small town on the news today? A house explosion a few blocks away, damaged over 50 homes. Then later, someone tried to rob the pharmacy, they caught him/them later in the day after a police manhunt, was wondering what was going on with all the low flying aircraft. The explosion could be heard 3 towns away, I din’t hear a thing LOL. When I pass out, you can drive a train through the house, I’d never hear it.

        How was your weekend?

      2. @cj, that is crazy a house explosion. No, didn’t hear anything about it. Glad you and family were not affected. Wish i could sleep thru an explosion. Lol. 50 homes that is unreal.
        Sorry to hear about your COPD attacks. Glad you are doing a little better. Having flare ups myself with fever and came close to passing out a few times. I am doing a little better today. Didn’t even go outside this weekend. Just been too sick. I lost my apple password. I found that app. I think i will have to buy it. I will have to search for the paperwork for this tablet.

      3. @Ex va: The wire app? that is free, just install it from the apple store, no adds or anything installed it on my iphone, android tablet, and Arch linux laptop. Fevers high enough to make you want to pass out, are dangerous fevers. Glad your doing better.

      4. @cj, i looked that explosion up on internet. That house burnt to the ground. It is amazing no one was seriously injured. Was it a gas leak?

  4. Germaine Clarno who works for the same union, and let veterans die because she would not speak to republicans because she was a democrat. WHAT A JOKE

  5. Well, the lady is clearly not a VA worker. Her butt crack looks to be from my estimations just a fraction of the length of the average VA worker.

    She really does a good job at avoiding the obvious. “Official Time” is simoly code words for “money”. She is asserting that if we do not give the VA employee this money that the needs of vets cannot be served. So what is the obvious point she is missing?

    Welllllll…… for starters she fails to mention the scope of “Official Time”. I will take the liberty to fill in the voids in her pile of manure –

    In FY 2013, the VA reported that it paid for 1,073,780 hours of “official time” (did you just almost gurk up too?). Soooooo, if the average person who goes to earn money at VA works a standard 40 hour shift, that means that we pay the equivelent of 516 full time employees. The difference of course is that those same 516 employees could be employed in ADDITION to the crew currently sitting in their cubicles. Instead, she proposes that the money is better spent for vets if it used to for the benefit of the labor union….

    So lets do the math:

    516 extra nurses, adjudicators, mental health specialists, and food service persons = money spent directly on the mission objective of VA. (Admittedly 516 VA workers under union guidance produce at best a 30% return on investment)

    OR

    1,073,780 man hours are spent for the benefit of making the union run more smoothly = a godamn nice Cadillac for Mr. Cox. (admittedly 10% of VA folks would also benefit with continued protections against whistleblowers, also known as “scabs”)

    So the choice is to pay for vet care, or for the care of the AFGE with The Peoples money.

  6. If you veterans do nit agree with the AFGE position do not just vent on the blog, get busy and swamp Veteran Committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. These politicians can do something but are useless humaN beings and let the crap keep going on within the VA. The Afge union president and membership should be eliminated period.The union is in bed with SES employees and politicians. The more members the union gets the more the scumbag AfGE president gets.

    We as veterans need to quit using the VA and march against the VA in Washington and Nationally, otherwise nothing will change no matter how much everyone vents its anger. Then swamp the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the US President with your frustrations. What gets my gord is that the VA does not follow its own laws. These SES employees should be fired with no pension and benefits and forced to use their own VA for medical coverage.

    1. @Paul
      The Senate and Congress have no control over VA my friend. This fact is not in dispute. Moreover, as the recent indictments of extreme corruption against a member of the VA committee in Congress show, MANY of those cretins have been bought off – so just who is gonna listen anyway? Many are paid to turn a deaf ear.

      Marches do not work either because the AFGE without ANY doubt understands Pinkerton tactics and WILL use them.

      What has to happen until America regains sanity and dismantles this abomination of VA within our Republic, is to DIRECTLY attack the credentials of the doctors, nurses, and LCSWs who engage in VA behavior instead of theraputic treatment. Each of their names is printed in your medical record and each of their licensing states are public information.

      Every single time you visit these assholes and they jerk you around, write a letter to their licensing agency specifying in detail how you have been harmed. Forward a copy of the letter to the doctor or nurse via mail. At the same time, fill in a human rights complaint and file it with their Director who will further hate you for this. Those complaint forms are avalable online BUT do not fill in the online version! Print the form, and fill it in with pen and mail it.

      If they then respond by letter AT ALL and it is NOT an official Civil Rights decision (they will flame you by letter) then file a Privacy Act complaint with hhs dot gov against the author of the letter – by responding to you they almost certainly included some fact about your treatment, and this represents then an unauthorized disclosure of your personally identifiable information. File it, then send a copy of the filing to the person whom it is against.

      THIS is how you get in their face in a manner allowed for by law, and trust me when I tell you that if you did not believe previously how ruthless VA will become then you will learn. They will unload on you and you iwll lose VA medical care – and in such a loss your life might well be saved.

      With respect, complaining to congress about corruption, is like a gazelle complaining to the alligators that the watering hole is just too crowded for safety. GET IN THEIR faces at VA with the weapon of paperwork. Make it clear that YOU choose to retaliate by legally attacking their individual means to earn a wage. Keep a file. VA workers have a slogan that says cover your ass in paperwork. Let us help them cover those lengthy butt cracks.

    2. Paul Zdunek, a Veterans march is happening tomorrow May 20. I’ll be checking the youtube to see if any post the event live. “vetsmarchonamerica.com”

  7. Not only does afge get official time and free office space but they also get their supplies “free” from medical centers. That can’t or shouldn’t be legal. Anybody know of a specific law that addresses this? I’d like reference to send along with appropriate docs to the congressional committee for review

    1. You would have to look at DOL or OPM web sites for whether it is legal, but I very highly doubt it is.

      I knew a guy several years ago that worked in a fed agency. He was a union steward there, and said they couldn’t even send an email to union members using their work email address because it was illegal to use federal resources for doing so.

      Of course, it’s possible his agency management never allowed his union to get completely out of control.

  8. In Atlanta VA, the union’s sales pitch for joining in 2010, was that ‘Sooner or later you’re going to have an encounter with management that will require representation’. Fast forward to 2016, I kid you not, same sales pitch.

    My thing is, if the union is doing such great things. Why between 2010 to 2016, they haven’t improved things where you would feel compelled to join because like it or not, management is gonna get ya!!!

    Because they do nothing. They are in bed with management. They play both sides. Their purpose is to get your money for dues. It’s like a pyramid scheme. Get more under you to join and money keeps on moving up to the pyramid to the union leaders to live large.

    My union president used his “official time” to lie to me about the VA’s allegations against me and see what he could coerce me into saying so that they could deep six me.

    Oh, also, this argument about the VA needing to hire more people? I don’t think so. After spending over five months as a new hire with nothing to do, last thing VA needs is more taxpayer’s dollars to waste to have people sitting around doing nothing and acting like feral animals.

  9. –Veteran Drone Program—_______
    ——————–V.D.P.——————|
    /———————@——————-(..)——————–@———————\

    ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈?????????????
    ┈┈╱▔▔▔▔▔╲┈┈┈??????????
    ┈╱┈┈╱▔╲╲╲▏┈┈┈?????┈
    ╱┈┈╱━╱▔▔▔▔▔╲━╮┈┈
    ▏┈▕┃▕╱▔╲╱▔╲▕╮┃┈┈
    ▏┈▕╰━▏▊▕▕▋▕▕━╯┈┈
    ╲┈┈╲╱▔╭╮▔▔┳╲╲┈┈┈
    ┈╲┈┈▏╭━━━━╯▕▕┈┈┈
    ┈┈╲┈╲▂▂▂▂▂▂╱╱┈┈┈
    ┈┈┈┈▏┊┈┈┈┈┊┈┈┈╲┈
    ┈┈┈┈▏┊┈┈┈┈┊▕╲┈┈╲
    ┈╱▔╲▏┊┈┈┈┈┊▕╱▔╲▕
    ┈▏┈┈┈╰┈┈┈┈╯┈┈┈▕▕
    ┈╲┈┈┈╲┈┈┈┈╱┈┈┈╱┈╲
    ┈┈╲┈┈▕▔▔▔▔▏┈┈╱╲╲╲▏
    ┈╱▔┈┈▕┈┈┈┈▏┈┈▔╲▔▔
    ┈╲▂▂▂╱┈┈┈┈╲▂▂▂╱┈
    ……AFGE

  10. Remember the tv game show called “Name that tune”? We can start another “I can make that shot “

  11. BA-DONG BA-DONG BA-DONG BA-DONG BA-DONG . . .

    This is not a drill, this is not a drill. B – U – L – L – S -H – I – T alert on the blog. I say again
    B – U – L – L – S – H – I – T alert on the blog. S.N.A.F.U. and B.O.H.I.C.A. Procedures are now in effect. AFGE member should be SHOT on sight. Little Cox has No Cox. This is not a drill.

    BA-DONG BA-DONG BA-DONG BA-DONG . . .

      1. @Ex va @cj – – – Thanks. None of those AFGE bastards give a shit about anything but $$$$$. How do you tell if an AFGE Employee is lying? Their lips are moving . . . .

        I do not do Facebook anymore. Get distracted enough due TBI and PTSD. Got to be able to get at least a little bit of useful stuff done for Momma. She does her damndest to take care of me as best she can. VA does not help at all.

    1. @Disgruntled Veteran: LOL, most excellent response. Needs to be followed up with a few high power rounds wizzing by their heads, and just when they think they are safe………………splattttttttt, another one bites the dust.

      1. Agreed. But in Hawaii – – – once you go to the VA and are diagnosed with PTSD, the VA tells the Sheriff’s Department. Then the Sheriff’s show up at your house and legally confiscate your weapons. In Hawaii, it is FAR EASIER for the crooks to get firearms – – – than it is for a veteran with PTSD.

        The Price of “Paradise”. By the way, Honolulu was just officially rated the second most expensive city in the US by Numbeo. Momma and I make it on less than $20K yearly . . .

      2. @Disgruntled Veteran: Criminal what they have done to you. We treat illegals better. I hope you can resolve some of your battles in quick order. I know it is paradise, buy you need more options than are available on the islands. Win, and come home.

  12. @Pennsylvania Veterans – – – (Off Topic) Persian Gulf Bonus Program:

    Any current or former member of the armed forces who was a Pennsylvania resident at the time and served in the Persian Gulf during the period from Aug. 2, 1990 until Aug. 31, 1991 can receive up to $525 by applying for the Persian Gulf Veterans Bonus. The deadline for submitting applications for the program is Aug. 31, 2018.

    “https://www.dmva.pa.gov/veteransaffairs/Pages/Programs%20and%20Services/Persian-Gulf-Bonus-Program.aspx”

  13. I do not know if anyone has noticed that majority of these va employees looked like the fell off the top of an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Lol. They could present themselves better, shave, brush the hair, shower, lol. They lack sophistication and all like cox, they are disgusting. Maybe i don’t have my rose colored glasses on, where everything looks wonderful and beautiful, probably my subjective view.

    This presentation was bullshit. Union doesn’t guarantee Veteran preference, federal law does. I do not see where the union benefits anyone except the few union members that get themselves the benefits.

    If they could get the majority of the va employees to actually do an 40 hour weeks work they wouldn’t need to hire another 45,000 employees. I saw some of the worst work done in clinical performance and Washington and many others know by data collected that there are serious problems with work performance but do nothing about it.

  14. Come to the VA & do less work for more pay, doing things the VA way. Words taken from:
    “https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Department-of-Veterans-Affairs/reviews”

  15. I’m not understanding what gives union officials the right to do anything concerning Veterans health care. Is the union a federal agency? Can they be sued for interfering with Veterans health care? They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with what they get away with.

  16. “[…What planet was AFGE was on when they created this video, anyway? Since when did AFGE protect Veterans Preference?…]”

    When humanity finally populates outer space, the VA should never be allowed to invade outer space. Ever.
    Why?
    “Veteran’s Preference” would be the very rationed O2 the VA would get caught stealing after they kill Veterans in an Outer Space VAMC (OSVAMC) then giving that saved O2 rations to AFGE piggies in space.
    I have seen the future. We must destroy the AFGE before it becomes fully self-aware. The Terminator has nothing on the VA and AFGE.
    No AFGE Piggies in Space, please!

  17. Yep! seen this time and time again sense 2009 sense I retired. Nepotism at it’s worst, friends that know friends, relatives they all fly below the radar. On one hand you have a veteran that have served and bled, on the other you have a kid coming out of high school that has a better chance to work for the government than that veteran. Not going to say any names but there was a RIF at CPOL where jobs went to another state so the people left over needed to be placed that’s Ok! but to bring that person in as a GS5 with no experience over a person that have been working that position for 8 years as a GS4 is crazy. I have seen this happen, the person didn’t even want the job an dropped leave for 6 weeks and didn’t even have the common courtesy to bring the key back, that person sent someone else to pick up their stuff and turn the key in. Bottom Line Upfront if you don’t know someone you will probably have a hard time unless that supervisor is non biased and fair. There are some good supervisors, they are all not bad but a-lot of them are and they know who they are. I have to cover my butt here I’m not saying that family members can’t work for the government, what I’m saying is the intentions of the hiring authority, it’s their motive that I question. Veterans Preference don’t work because the supervisors don’t follow the regulations, if you are highly qualified and they have someone in mind already they will cancel the job announcement are come up with an excuse like they don’t have the funds are dig so deep that they find something they can disqualify you for.

    1. agree with your post. The VA hired a Managers daughter to be secretary to the director, right out of high school. When I questioned the hiring, I was told by personnel that the Girl had so many extra activities in high school, that it qualified her for the position.

      We also had a Chief of Staff who retired, right after he retired they hired his son as file room supervisor and employee’s complained, so management took corrective Action and promoted him to Administrative Assistant.

      Employee’s complained so management took corrective Action Again and made him, Chief of Ambulatory Care. Employee’s complained again, so management took corrective action and shipped him out to another facility as Assistant Chief of the Service. Problem Solved.

      I had started out as a Gs-2 and volunteered as a rover in administration. The rover trained in every position in Ambulatory care and so I learned every job and would cover where needed, besides my original job when not covering.

      This afforded me the training I needed to advance, Road block when I applied for Administrative Assistant position and was turned down 5 times, so I filed an EEO and a new Section chief was hired and after speaking with the Director, the New Chief called me into the office.

      Jim you are being hired as the new Administrative Assistant and I want you to know the only reason you are being hired is because you know what you are doing ? Really, then why was I not hired before.

      JackO, states once your a supervisor you have no protection. Not True higher management defends these employee’s, even if the supervisor did wrong. One must remember they believe one hand washes the other.

      I did you a favor, so you owe me a favor Right, Right. Ok I need you to look the other way on this one. We must work together to make this work.

      This under minds everything, because now they have evidence that you will throw someone under the Bus and they will use it, as a bargaining chip.

  18. VA “Official Time” is also easily confused with other ‘OT’s”, namely; Over Time, Obstructing Turds, you get the drift of the floaters.

    This “Official Time” AFGE Spokeshack is nothing but a marionette on the strings of AFGE President David “little” Cox. She probably had a bunch of VSO’s with crossbows and fabulous hats pointed at her to ensure to does the deed, the pubic service announcement of the meatgrinder’s anus.

    Not impressed….but…it tickles me the mighty AFGE is bothered enough to feel threatened…GOOD…poke the fat piggies again, and again, and again… 🙂

    (I was beside myself up there, therefore I was not really on my own “Official Time” so not responsible for my hands typing this)

    My dad always called “Official Time” when he was wrestling a very stubborn turd in the bathroom. But what do I know? 🙂

    1. ^My dad’s OT was definitely of the “Obstructing Turd” type. So goes the AFGE, Obstructing Turds.

  19. Has this come about because the Judicial Watch is aware of employees doing only union work. They put out a pretty damning news letter on the VA.

    Since I can’t use facebook I analyzed her body/facial expressions. She was chosen because she can read without moving her eyes & she starts out believing what she’s reading, it makes her feel good; the head tilt, raised eyebrow, flashbulb eyes, hand gestures except for shoulder shrugs there she is not committed to what she’s saying, partial rise is deceptive, both shoulders rise indicate I don’t know. I thought I saw a half smile almost a sneer. As the spokeperson – she doesn’t believe those words she’s reading, nor do I.

    1. Nitewish, can you post a link to that newsletter? That sounds like something I would like to read.

      1. 91Veteran, most happy to…

        “https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/veterans-affairs-has-346-workers-who-do-only-union-work/article/2621385?utm “

        “https://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/05/va-gives-gitmo-terrorists-better-medical-care-u-s-veterans/?utm_source=campaigner&utm_campaign=Newslink_5-4-17&cmp=1&utm”

        “https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-documents-revealing-va-ordered-nationwide-mass-purge-veterans-mri-imaging-orders/?utm_source=campaigner&utm_campaign=Newslink_5-4-17&cmp=1&utm”

        “https://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2016/06/u-s-spends-medical-care-inmates-seniors-veterans-military-personnel/?utm_source=campaigner&utm_campaign=Newslink_5-4-17&cmp=1&utm”

      2. Thank you.

        I see the 346 working as full time thugs comes from a GAO report, which means someone in congress requested that report.

        I hope they have the guts to follow up and do something about it.

        Oh, and reading that Examiner article is a good refutation of the video above. It also shows VA management, or at least their spokeshacks have no friggin clue about FLSA. They refer to the Fair Labor Standards Act as the Federal Service Labor Relations Statute. Twice. So it was not a mistake, just stupidity.

  20. Following in disgust at lil crybaby cox, and his precious AFGE union assholes. You would think the VA was set up to take care of the union instead of veterans………….Wait a minute, damn it, there I go again telling the truth.

  21. Hello, Benjamin, the video is Hogwash. No, I do not believe that Congress should fill 45000 more positions. Without accountability enforced, it will be taxpayer money wasted and increased corruption. They speak about quality care. Since when does the VA offer quality care without enforced accountability? The video is false news just like the Democrats’ lie with using President Trump as colluding with the Russians. I have more to say but I will come back later. It is about employment in the VA.

  22. Ben, the audience this video is for is only true believer union thugs, or those who support them. No sane, thinking person would believe any of the horseshit in this video.

    Veteran preference is mentioned. How does the AFGE fight for veterans preference when their own Master Agreement specifically excludes veterans from many positions? Rather than lying in their video, why not provide concrete statistics such as the number of veterans who are AFGE members? Specific instances where they have fought to preserve vets preference?

    Preference in hiring is federal law. I don’t recall anyone in Congress offering any legislation to repeal veterans preference. Paying union thugs doesn’t have shit to do with veterans preference.

    Same with discrimination against veterans diagnosed with PTSD. It is against federal law to discriminate against people with mental illness. How specifically has the AFGE fought against that? Why are they not battling against any manager that is discriminating against those with mental illness? What about other disabilities? Or are those vets just SOL?

    Given the history of the VA just over the past 5 years, one could argue the AFGE participates in helping VA management avoid veterans preference in hiring, and participates in discriminating against vets with PTSD or other injuries…SPECIFICALLY when it comes to hiring.

    Much of this focuses on jobs and hiring, but what has the AFGE done for veterans, or just civilian employees that are whistle blowers? Given the prevalence of retaliation against whistle blowers, it would seem the AFGE is not worth a shit in protecting their own members. Same with protecting employees that are being fired right and left before their probationary period is up because they push other VA hacks to do their damn jobs.

    Pushing back against illegal firing and retaliation is SPECIFICALLY what the AFGE should be doing, because that would be protecting employees from management, which unions claim is their sole purpose.

    How have they expedited claims? As far as I know, expediting a claim has a specific procedure. Does the AFGE have ways around those procedures? If that procedure states certain veterans should have their claims expedited, what exactly is AFGE doing to help? Does AFGE only help expedite claims of other AFGE members?

    So removing paid thug time will result in litigation? Really? How many poor little protected AFGE thugs will choose going to court over the bullshit provisions throughout the AFGE Master Agreement? What would the AFGE say if veterans mounted a suit against them for avoiding veterans preference in hiring?

    Let that thug bastard who beat that veteran to death go to court to sue to get his job back rather than then union fighting hard to cover up the manslaughter their member committed. Let the drunk driving interior designer pay for her own fucking lawsuit to get her job back. In fact, why the hell is the AFGE OK with hiring 127 interior designers if they are so short of care givers? I don’t recall any fucking video from the AFGE complaining about that!

    If the AFGE is worried about losing official time causing worse care, then why doesn’t the AFGE hire their own full time representatives for their employees rather than taking huge amounts of salary that could be paid to a care giver? A doctor paid over $200,000, yet his daily time is 100% union time? How the hell does that translate to better care for vets? If I recall, that doctor is at Hines where vets cannot even get official fucking properly cooked food! Given the amount spent of official thug time, and the claim it helps provide better care, then every VA clinic and hospital in the country should be better than the Mayo Clinic.

    This bimbo suggests resources should be used to hire 45,000…which is actually an argument AGAINST taxpayers paying for official time, when that taxpayer money should go towards staff who provide care for veterans.

    I hate politicians using veterans when they need to get re-elected. I seriously DESPISE union thugs using us to protect their Gravy Train, particularly when facts show so different.

  23. Oh, and I watched one union steward get appointed full time afge status when he had been half time for years. Weird thing is, employees on payroll have gone down yet the director bowed down and kissed the afge ring to pledge her loyalty. Makes zero sense other than backroom deals that will never see the light of day

    1. Again, I cannot understand how this is done since it is a violation of the FLSA. Official time is time GRANTED by the agency to a representative…it is NOT a right. It just tells me again that VA management doesn’t give a shit about what the law is, and will do whatever they want when it comes to working with the union.

      3 references on this that I found are:

      “https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/labor-management-relations/reports-on-official-time/”

      “https://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/cfr/29cfr/Part1614/1614605.htm”

      and “https://www.ntc.blm.gov/krc/uploads/391/FLSA%20Manager%20Guide.pdf”

      That last link is the best. Starting on page 22 it states:

      “Performing Representational Functions. Official time granted by an agency to perform representational functions when the employee is in a duty status is counted as hours of work. This includes regular working hours and regularly scheduled overtime. Performing representational functions related to events that arise during irregular or unscheduled overtime and that must be dealt with during the irregular overtime also will be counted as hours of work, e.g., safety or health issue related to equipment breakdown. ”

      Page 34 further spells out that official time granted is a management right, and is NOT automatically granted:

      “An agency may disallow a representative who is a federal employee in any of the following circumstances:
      (1) the individual’s activities as a representative would cause a conflict of interest or position; (2) the designated representative cannot be released from his or her official duties because of the priority needs of
      the federal government; or, (3) the release of the designated representative would give rise to unreasonable costs to the federal government. ”

      VA management seriously needs an enema.

  24. That is the some bs!!! When I worked at the VA, the Union was a joke. Basically very few VA employees use the Union or are dues paying members until management does something to them. I helped a co-worker file a ULP against management and the Union settled things with management without consulting the person who filed the grievance. The Flra lawyer called everyone up and chewed out management and the Union President for violating his rights. Being on official time is a great way of getting paid your full salary to not do your job. It’s also a great bargaining chip for low gs or wage grade vagabonds who can get his/her friends to vote for them as the Union President to negotiate a better job with VA management down the road if they help management handle a whistleblower. The Union is another bureaucratic system of dummies who seek power without having to earn it. The Union and Management need each other to scratch each other’s backs because they all want to to do nothing and get paid or they thirst for power. It’s a joke. I was a whistleblower at the VA and I wouldn’t count on the Union to help you. Quite honestly, most people are far more educated than the Union Reps anyway. I was a whistleblower at the VA and quite honestly, I wished I would have just took a poop on his desk and used the line from Sicario on him “You should move to a small town, somewhere the rule of law still exists. You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and this is a land of wolves now.” lol.

    1. Good movie.

      As for official time, given your experience, can you tell us whether VA union representatives can just choose on their own what is official time and what is not?

      If they can choose, then VA management is violating the law. Under the FLSA, it is a management right to determine the amount of official time that can be spent performing official, union duties. I have never heard of a union representative spending their entire day on union business.

      This is another reason why not only does the union need to be eliminated, but many in management as well that have effectively joined with the union.

      1. management is not protected by the union. management spends tons of time filing disciplinary actions in HR that then deal with the union. Once you are a supervisor you “have no protection.”

      2. I don’t disagree that management has no protection in a perfect world, but this is the VA. I believe management and the union are so corrupt its hard to tell the difference between the two.

    2. Such a great movie. You can still go back and poop on his desk. Or send it in a sealed envelope.

    3. Your right except for the small town remark.

      The hiring pool is very shallow and everyone knows each other, so friends or relative’s are hired.

      Then you have all their buddies, friends and relative’s to deal with. You say anything about the VA or certain employee. It will get back to that employee.

      That employee will make your life a living hell.

      That is why I say if an investigation is done for what ever reason. All employees being interviewed must be informed that this is a legal proceding.

      Told any employees making false statements to the investigators will be held accountable and can and will be terminated.

      Once they are told this their loyalty will go out the window. Unless they are too stupid to realize that they mean business.

      Some are so use to lieing, they can’t help themselves !

      I tried to explain something to a VA employee and all I got was Well, Well, I just do my job.

      I see no evil, I hear no evil and I speaking no evil. So that tells me, what they mean is I don’t give a !&=; about what they do as long as they leave them alone.

      Quilty by proxy !

      What would happen or could happen if you were driving and seen a bad accident and you could have been some help !

      But you did not want to get involved and just left the scene.

      Charges that what.

      A citizen can be charged for not assisting, so VA employees should also be held accountable if they do not assist.

      After all veterans lives could be in jeopardy, since the employees drove away.

      1. James Gallegos, I have an elephant knick-knack represents – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil AND Do No Evil

  25. Afge does not promote or care about veteran preference in the hiring process. In fact, they do the opposite. In Salem, they have “negotiated” with hr to issue certificates of eligibility that combines current federal employees and veterans on the same certificate for vacant positions. Also, they have agreements in place to promote current federal employees first aka current due payers at a higher wage thus more money for the afge pocketbook. Basically unless the vacant position is announced to us citizens, veteran’s preference is a theory and not a practice. And yes, any position above a gs-5 is reserved for relatives, like-minded minions who walk in lockstep with executives or chronic eeoc complainers. If you complain like I do about this stuff you get railroaded.

    1. If you go to USAJobs and search on Department of Veterans Affairs only, it pulls up every job currently advertised for hiring. The current number of jobs advertised is 4,503. If you select the filter for veterans, that number drops to 765. Of the 10 listed on the first page, all but 3 are GS6 or below…Housekeeping, clerks and laborer.

      I don’t know if veterans can stand any more help from the AFGE on veterans preference in hiring.

  26. Talk about spinning the truth… Ben, that 33% veterans just could be true. I see a lot of janitors, clerks, and kitchen help. I have no complaint, but, it’s that other 67% that bothers me. Most of them are a big part of the problem. Start the firing with that 67%. The video should be used in court. If, in my lifetime we can get rid of anyone. Makes me sick.

    1. Firing Veterans over civilians will not solve the problem. Its the entire culture at the VA where minimum standards are hard to get from staff. I’ve been told by many Veterans: “in the military I learned….the minimum standards.”

      1. No Jackoff,

        Jo3n said “Start the firing with that 67%”. That means start firing the civilians. Also assclown your other statement “I’ve been told by many Veterans”, makes it very clear that you are not a Veteran and certainly not a disabled Veteran. Yet you are so twisted in the head that you come on this site to troll. Fuck Off JackOff.

  27. I want a union puke at the VA in Loma Linda to tell me they are working with me, for me, and give me that which is due, as in, what I have earned.

    Loma Linda has somehow stayed under radar. I had to wait about a year to get outside “colonoscopy”. The VA voc rehab at Loma Linda has shamed veterans into a tunnel of beliefs while denying them their ch 31 benefits…

    THE CURRENT VA SYSTEM INCLUDING ITS UNION, MUST GO. IF DONE PROPERLY, IT COULD BE GONE IN A WEEK….

    1. If done with a tactical thermonuclear device it could be gone in a few milliseconds. No official time necessary.

      1. Extra benefits of using a few Neutron Bombs to do the task:

        1) It leaves the structures intact and…

        2) It sanitizes the structures from whatever was growing there, including the piggies.

        3) Easily snuck-in on VA ice cream trucks…cement mixers.

        (this is assuming the VA employees/AFGE do not cause some form of unexpected nasty fallout when that pure form of corruption meets split atoms…who knows, but we must try, my God, we must try)

  28. even as a psychologist you don’t get veteran preference protections, so any privileged citizen with no real life experience, and good VA connections, can be legally hired over any of us, it is mind boggling.

      1. The grade level someone is hired at using Veterans preference depends on the authority they use to hire the veteran. Some are hired under one program and at a lower grade level while others are hired under a different program that allows a higher grade level.

        Many years ago I saw veterans hired into GS10 slots, but they were hired as GS5’s because they were considered to be in training. Once per year, if they were meeting the training requirements and their performance was acceptable, they would be promoted to the next higher grade until they reached the highest grade for that job, in this case, a GS10.

        That was using Vietnam era hiring authority. After the Gulf War, congress updated that authority, and allowed hiring at a higher grade level depending on the veterans experience. A veteran could be hired for a GS 10 slot as a GS7 or GS9, or all the way up to GS10.

        Many veterans have considerably more training, education and experience, particularly if they are in for 20 years than they did 25 years ago.

        If someone has 20 years experience as an Information Technology person in the military handling a global network, how is it fair to hire them at a lower grade level than someone fresh out of college?

        The biggest problem is just getting federal agencies to follow the law.

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