By Eric Antrim, NFFE Local 251, Recording Secretary:
New Forest Service employees have been “reminded” of their probationary status with the obvious goal of harassing them so they might resign; without regard for their individual performance.
We have rights, but only if we stand up for them. Do not give up your rights without a fight.
With hindsight, we all should wish probationary employees had more rights and clearer protections in our Master Agreement, but our Master Agreement is not silent on the topic of probationary employees and we should all be united in defending every protection the Master Agreement might offer.
In the Forest Service, under our Master Agreement, the probationary period is to facilitate an examining process for new employees; not to allow mass firings for national political reasons. Terminated probationary employees have a right to a written notice including the specific reasons for their individual terminations. I think we can argue that those reasons need to be objective performance or conduct issues and certainly not political attacks on the entire federal workforce. The probationary period is to allow for the efficient removal of underperforming or misbehaving new employees with documented performance or conduct deficiencies in their first months on the job. The probationary period is not to provide a loophole for bad faith actors to downsize the federal service without regard to any specific employee’s conduct or performance relative to their position.
I’ll work with my union brothers and sisters to file a grievance on behalf of any and all probationary employees that might be removed without regard for their individual performance.
Our Master Agreement Article 22, Section 8, “Termination of Probationary/Trial Employees” includes:
a. The Parties recognize that the probationary/trial period is an extension of the examining process.
b. Terminations of probationary/trial employees for conduct or performance reasons will take place only when reasonable doubt exists as to the appropriateness of continued employment. Employees will have an opportunity to demonstrate their performance and conduct for continued employment to the fullest extent possible during their probationary period. If a decision is made to terminate an employee during the probationary period, a written notice will be issued to the employee containing the reasons for the action and its effective date. The reasons will include any agency conclusions on performance and/or conduct deficiencies.