President Dougan Challenges Agency Abuse of Temporary Hiring Authority in Hill Testimony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Randy Erwin, Legislative Director
Phone: (202) 257-0948

Washington, D.C. – This afternoon, William R. Dougan, National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), a national union representing 110,000 federal workers government wide, called for an end to abusive hiring practices in the U.S. Forest Service that leave long-term temporary employees without benefits or competitive standing.

These temporary employees, or “1039’s” as they are commonly referred to based on their  hiring classification, receive no health insurance benefits, life insurance, retirement benefits, step increases, or competitive standing for internal placement into career jobs. Some 1039’s have worked in temporary seasonal position continuously for as long as 30 years, and still cannot draw federal benefits.

“How long does temporary last in the federal government,” asked Dougan. “For some employees of the U.S. Forest Service, temporary has lasted more than thirty years. Many of us like to think of the federal government as a model employer… But for thousands of employees hired into temporary positions, their conditions of employment are as bad as you’ll see.”

Joining President Dougan at the hearing were NFFE members Joe Katz and Lisa McKinney, who combined have more than fifty years of service in the federal workforce. Both are temporary employees in the U.S. Forest Service. Regardless of decades of dutiful contributions to the agency’s mission, neither of them are entitled to the benefits granted to permanent seasonal employees.

To remedy this, Dougan called for legislation that includes a “pathway to permanence,” which would grant competitive standing to long-term temporary employees, afford them priority consideration for their job should it be converted to permanent, and grant them creditable service time for their temporary service. Said Dougan:

“Our proposal has no price tag. It has no mandate. It would simply provide (Forest Service) management with a necessary tool to allow reform to begin. With this tool in place, we look forward to working with all parties for reform with justice.”

Dougan testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia.