Congressman Dennis Ross
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 21, 2016 – U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, released the following statement after introducing H.R. 4392, legislation requiring the Office of Personnel Management to submit an annual report to Congress relating to the use of “Official Time” by federal employees:
“I introduced H.R. 4392 so Congress may better account for federal employees’ use of working hours and eliminate wasteful spending. This bill will require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to submit an annual, detailed report to Congress on the use of ‘Official Time’ by federal employees, outlining specific types of activities or purposes for which this time was granted.
“As currently defined, ‘Official Time’ is any period of time given to a federal employee to perform union activities during the official workday. Unfortunately, from my time as the former chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, I learned firsthand that the OPM has very little accountability for the use of ‘Official Time’ by federal employees.
“The amount of time federal employees spend conducting union business while on duty costs taxpayers around $157 million each year. At a time when our country is more than $18 trillion in debt, we need to ensure that we are better accounting for the use of taxpayer dollars.”
Note: Ross and 21 other GOP Congress members for the pass several years have introduced a bill titled “Federal Employee Accountability Act” in an attempt to repeal the use of “Official Time” by union stewards. The bill was introduced by Representative Jody B. Hice (R-GA-10) in March of last year (and introduced in the previous two years). Here is the language in the bill:
Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2015
Repeals provisions: (1) authorizing a federal employee representing an exclusive representative in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement official time for such purpose during the time such employee otherwise would be in a duty status; and (2) requiring the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether any employee participating for, or on behalf of, a labor organization in any phase of proceedings before it shall be authorized official time for that purpose.
Cosponsor Date Cosponsored
Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Long, Billy [R-MO-7]* 03/26/2015
Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-4]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Pittenger, Robert [R-NC-9]*03/26/2015
Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Hensarling, Jeb [R-TX-5]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Hartzler, Vicky [R-MO-4]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Ross, Dennis A. [R-FL-15]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]* 03/26/2015
Rep. Weber, Randy K., Sr. [R-TX-14]*03/26/2015
Rep. Salmon, Matt [R-AZ-5]* 03/26/2015
Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4] 04/13/2015
Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1] 04/13/2015
Rep. Gowdy, Trey [R-SC-4] 04/13/2015
Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2] 04/21/2015
Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8] 04/21/2015
Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] 05/05/2015
Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9] 05/05/2015
Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-4] 05/05/2015
Let’s really take a look at how our tax dollars are being spent. How much does this representative make, ahould inteoduce a bill for all of the representives to take a pay cut, better yet, how about you take this circumvented union busting tactic and find something better to do with your time. I would also call for union members to vote against this representative and his co- representatives.
Let’s really take a look at how our tax dollars are being spent. How much does this representative make, should introduce a bill for all of the representives to take a pay cut, better yet, how about you take this circumvented union busting tactic and find something better to do with your time. I would also call for union members to vote against this representative and his co- representatives.
I am sick of these people in congress fire ever one of these congressman and make them get reel job and be treated like us carries are treeted then they would know why we need unions!!the congress have unbelievable pay package and benefits from the taxpayers and vote there own raise ! We the people need to fix this the congress is over paid and get to much vacation and sick leave we need to Chang there benefits for doing nothing than trying to take benefits away from hard working people!!
That’s a crock of S—! Ross and his cronies in congress cost taxpayers
trillions of dollars each year. With out of control spending and
not to mention the fat salaries and cushy health plans we pay for.
They vote themselves raises even through a bad economy! These
people think their part of the untouchables! Don’t you just love it
when these jack asses start crap like this when at the same time
they are the biggest abusers!…. wait is congress on vacation again!!
You want to lower the costs of Union Business? Then investigate the reasons why Management consistently and purposely violate contractual rights! Take care of that and the cost of Union Business lessens!!
Same old political nonsense. …… $157 million out if $18 trillion? Really? This is where you want to save $?? Idiots
Just another avenue to take away any organization that can help low workers! What do you expect from Ratpublicans? They just think that people are but sources of cheap labor. And workers should not have, nor do they need any rights. The workers should only have the right to work, nothing more! If one were to notice, the words “work will set you free” was placed at the entrance to one of the Nazi concentration camps. Workers are to know their place. They are to work then hide in a hole so as not to be seen. Then the next day, they are free to go back to work. The rich expect the workers to work for nothing so as to be able to hoard their precious money! What will it take for the American worker to wake up! People react because of emotions and not intellect. Time to realize that the “blacks and Mexicans” isn’t your foe.
Here’s a novel idea. Follow the contract. Stop signing agreements and then at the first opportunity, violate the agreement. The Labor Board and arbitrators need to fine the postal service for continually violating the Articles. Talk about a waste of money. Management violates the contract, we grieve it and pay these arbitrators outrageous wages for them to tell you to pay and make the union whole, and the next day you pull the exact same violation. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, as the idiot asski**ers that are being promoted are from the same mold.
Dennis Ross is a reject! A blatant union-buster and so are the others! The idiot doesn’t even know that the USPS doesn’t use any taxpayers monies! So any time spend on union time is not time paid by taxpayers! But they want America to believe that because the GOP idiots want nothing more than to kill unions, reduce labor wages and make millions more off of the poor workers. Who voted this moron into office?
We don t use tax payers money.
AS far as I know, if he is talking taxpayers the bill should not include postal workers.
USPS is funded by its customers not taxpayers. But I agree that the republicans hate unions.
A list by Republicans. That’s a shock. Republican lawmakers, business and through the brainwashing of FOX News and other conservative media, GOP workers hate unions because they’re told to, not being smart to understand how they are against their own best interests.
Listen, you GOP jerks: the union has every right to use whatever time is needed to do its work. Management would love to curtail its time it can work, but they don’t do union work and don’t have a clue what it involves. Therefore they think they can make it almost impossible to get any labor work like grievances done if they can deliberately deny the proper amount of time for a union steward to do his or her work.
That does not stop stewards, and I was a steward/president of my local for 17 years, from doing the work during off hours if we have to, and when we do that, we can grieve management for refusing to give us the time we need on the clock and we demand and receive overtime for it, and double time if it applies.
Your answer is obvious: we’re just goof offs, trying to steal money for sitting around doing nothing. I worked very hard on union matters, as well as my route and didn’t take a minute I didn’t honestly need.
But when you’re a union hater, and want to kill the middle class and reduce everybody to poverty wages, no answer I give you could possibly matter. You GOP assholes hate everybody who isn’t rich and powerful like you and your owners, and it’s telling that your voters are the dumbest, hate filled racist imbeciles in the country. You know that, and use it to great effect. That’s why you make college so hard to get into, and cultivate a society of idiots because they’re a lot easier to snow and rule. By the way, your estimates on “savings” is a figure you pull out of your ass because you never did the work, nor do you have a clue how it works.
Well said.