Posted on 06/13/2019 2:18:42 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Members of the American Federation of Government Employees turned their backs on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday, apparently over plans to relocate them from Washington to the Kansas City area.
Perdue announced Thursday that two of the Department of Agriculture’s research agencies, the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will be relocated to be closer to major farming regions.
While Perdue has justified the relocation as a way to improve customer service and save taxpayers up to $20 million per year, some ERS employees have said it is a political move, according to the publication.
Specifically, some ERS staff have expressed suspicions the relocation is an attempt to shrink the agency and weaken its ability to conduct research that does not align with the Trump administration’s policy agenda.
The department retreated on another proposal to shift ERS within the department’s organizational structure to place it under the Office of the Chief Economist.
"While we believe there is considerable synergies and benefits to a realignment, after hearing feedback from stakeholders and members of Congress, USDA will not move forward with the realignment plans," the department said.
Employees at both agencies voted to unionize after the relocation was announced, according to Politico. They are expected to receive relocation letters Thursday and will be given 30 days to make a decision, according to the American Federation of Government Employees.
Union reps said employees were not given advance notice of the announcement and that they learned of the site selection via media reports despite Perdue’s assurances he would provide notice.
The relocation has divided Congress along partisan lines as well, with the four Republicans who represent Kansas and Missouri in the Senate issuing a joint statement praising the move.
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), who hold key positions on House subcommittees with jurisdiction over the agencies, have said the process has lacked transparency, according to Politico.
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), who has co-sponsored legislation to halt the relocation, said a USDA inspector general review “examining the viability of this relocation is not complete."
Shemya, Attu, or Kiska. I think they can actually see Russia from Shemya Island.
The down side of this that, instead of just closing the agency down and laying everyone off, there will now be a huge increase in the communist vote in the states of Kansas and Missouri...
All great choices!
Unfortunately, that's not how it works in the government.
yep the ones facing left are Demonuts
By the looks of the photo they could just be looking for more donuts.
Cool. Hopefully several of them will quit. These are exactly the kind of swamp creatures who need to be turned out.
Da fat and da ugly
It’s actually more than just a relocation to those guys...it’s all about the Benjamin’s! These employees make a lot more bank when in the DC area. A GS-13/Step 5 in Washington makes about $12,000 a year more than a 13/5 in Kansas City. What you see there is a complete picture of greed.
Lots of people in NE Kansas. Out west it can get pretty desolate. This is a picture of A Kansas Suburb just outside of Kansas City.
So, the Federal employees. I hope they all stay in DC and learn coding or how to be a barista or baristo. (Does barista have a gender ending?)
I did some training in the middle of the state of Kansas. Ion break we were all outside, the second week. It was windy all the time,
I asked a guy when does the wind stop? He said, i’ve been here all my life. I’m 53. I’ll let you know when it stops.
Loved Topeka.
LOL
With this action they show themselves to be insubordinate political creatures..
Fire them all for insubordination
Well, I am huddled here up against the KS/MO border and do not get that wind, at least all the time. I have been in the Flint Hills and the wind does not stop, at least on the hill tops. I am glad you liked Topeka!
I think it’s a west Kansas phenomonen
All federal agencies should be relocated North Dakota
I guess it depends on who you have as employees. I work in the govt and do not live anywhere near the DC area. Two of my employees, by job description, live in the DC area. Both are trying (and I am trying to help) to get out of the DC area. They hate the office politics, getting snared into duties that have nothing to do with their jobs and they hate the area. They just want to do their job.
Looks like more of the Deep State Anti-Trumpers are being exposed and encouraged to self-weed themselves out....their politics makes it a ‘political move” because they won’t be surrounded by other deep State traitors...
Kind of interesting - just noted that all the statements are attributed to “department members” or “union reps”....no names...
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