OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Letter to Andrew Wheeler, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator - Tonko, Kuster, Pallone lead 220+ Members Calling on EPA to Negotiate in Good Faith

Letter

By: Raul Grijalva, Mike Thompson, Mark DeSaulnier, Ro Khanna, Salud Carbajal, Brad Sherman, Norma Torres, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Lou Correa, Scott Peters, Ed Perlmutter, Terri Sewell, Greg Stanton, Ami Bera, Jackie Speier, Zoe Lofgren, Judy Chu, Grace Napolitano, Karen Bass, Maxine Waters, Harley Rouda, Diana DeGette, Joe Courtney, Al Lawson, Jr., Kathy Castor, Frederica Wilson, John Lewis, Dave Loebsack, Chuy Garcia, Jan Schakowsky, Pete Visclosky, Richard Neal, Ayanna Pressley, Anthony Brown, Dan Kildee, Ruben Gallego, Doris Matsui, Barbara Lee, Anna Eshoo, Julia Brownley, Pete Aguilar, Raul Ruiz, Mark Takano, Alan Lowenthal, Susan Davis, John Larson, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Charlie Crist, Jr., Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Hank Johnson, Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Dan Lipinski, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Cheri Bustos, Cedric Richmond, Seth Moulton, John Sarbanes, Jared Golden, Debbie Dingell, Betty McCollum, G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Annie Kuster, Frank Pallone, Jr., Mikie Sherrill, Dina Titus, Gregory Meeks, Jerry Nadler, José Serrano, Anthony Brindisi, Marcia Fudge, Earl Blumenauer, Dwight Evans, Matt Cartwright, Jim Cooper, Veronica Escobar, Eddie Johnson, Elaine Luria, Jennifer Wexton, Rick Larsen, Mark Pocan, Tom O'Halleran, Jared Huffman, Jerry McNerney, Eric Swalwell, Jimmy Panetta, Adam Schiff, Ted Lieu, Linda Sánchez, Nanette Barragán, Mike Levin, Joe Neguse, Rosa DeLauro, Stephanie Murphy, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Lucy McBath, Cindy Axne, Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider, André Carson, Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch, David Trone, Elissa Slotkin, Brenda Lawrence, Lacy Clay, Jr., Alma Adams, Jeff Van Drew, Albio Sires, Deb Haaland, Steven Horsford, Nydia Velázquez, Carolyn Maloney, Nita Lowey, Brian Higgins, Anthony Gonzalez, Kurt Schrader, Mary Scanlon, Mike Doyle, Jr., Lizzie Fletcher, Joaquin Castro, Marc Veasey, Donald McEachin, Stacey Plaskett, Pramila Jayapal, Gwen Moore, Paul Tonko, Ann Kirkpatrick, John Garamendi, Josh Harder, Jim Costa, T.J. Cox, Tony Cárdenas, Jimmy Gomez, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Juan Vargas, Jason Crow, Jahana Hayes, Darren Soto, Lois Frankel, Donna Shalala, David Scott, Bobby Rush, Sean Casten, Bill Foster, Sharice Davids, Lori Trahan, Bill Keating, Jamie Raskin, Andy Levin, Angie Craig, Emanuel Cleaver II, Adrian Smith, Andy Kim, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Xochitl Torres Small, Thomas Suozzi, Hakeem Jeffries, Adriano Espaillat, Sean Maloney, Joyce Beatty, Kendra Horn, Brian Fitzpatrick, Chrissy Houlahan, David Cicilline, Al Green, Henry Cuellar, Filemon Vela, Jr., Abigail Spanberger, Peter Welch, Kim Schrier, Eleanor Norton, Val Demings, Ted Deutch, Sanford Bishop, Jr., Ed Case, Robin Kelly, Danny Davis, Lauren Underwood, John Yarmuth, Katherine Clark, Dutch Ruppersberger, Chellie Pingree, Haley Stevens, Dean Phillips, Bennie Thompson, Chris Pappas, Joshua Gottheimer, Don Payne, Jr., Ben Luján, Jr., Kathleen Rice, Yvette Clarke, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Antonio Delgado, Marcy Kaptur, Suzanne Bonamici, Brendan Boyle, Susan Wild, Jim Langevin, Vicente Gonzalez, Sylvia Garcia, Lloyd Doggett II, Don Beyer, Jr., Suzan DelBene, Denny Heck, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, David Price, Donald Norcross, Tom Malinowski, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Susie Lee, Grace Meng, Max Rose, Eliot Engel, Joe Morelle, Tim Ryan, Peter DeFazio, Madeleine Dean, Conor Lamb, Steve Cohen, Sheila Jackson Lee, Colin Allred, Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Derek Kilmer, Ron Kind
Date: Nov. 20, 2019
Issues: Environment Business, Consumers, and Employees

Dear Administrator Wheeler:
We are concerned about potential unfair labor practices and refusal to bargain in good faith with union representatives at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

We understand that you have undertaken efforts to negotiate with union representatives; however, more must be done. The negotiations seem to have broken down when EPA adopted proposals that are similar to certain provisions of Executive Orders 13836, 13837, and 13839.

It is our understanding that in June 2019, EPA unilaterally imposed a new contract on its employees. This imposed contract:

eliminates the grievance procedure, stripping workers of important due process and depriving employees of a way to hold managers accountable;
removes union members from their voluntary union membership without their consent;
evicts union representatives from office space and severely restricts the amount of time they can devote to meetings with employees and management to eliminate problems or obstacles in the workplace; and
reduces workplace schedules and telework options, and makes other work schedule changes, hurting EPA employees who commute long distances because they cannot afford to live close to their offices.
We strongly urge EPA's management to return to the bargaining table with union representatives and negotiate in good faith. In addition, we request timely and continuous updates regarding ongoing negotiations.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[228 Signatories]


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