Dear Secretary Johnson
January 29, 2014
I am writing on behalf of the 78,000 DHS employees represented by my union, the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE). I realize that you have only recently taken the helm. I was hoping for a real change in DHS behavior. I am outraged that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acted to unilaterally suspend administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) for up to 900 employees. DHS has abrogated its statutory obligation to engage and notify AFGE, the largest union representing DHS employees (including the impacted agencies ofICE and Border Patrol), regarding this decision. Thousands of DHS employees receive AUO in discharging their duties as law enforcement officers, and the pay they receive for that work is implicated in this change. DHS has abysmal labor management relations, this act is as one of extreme bad faith.
