Social Security News: Astrue Responds To Union -- And Escalates Conflict

Feb 5, 2009

Astrue Responds To Union -- And Escalates Conflict

A broadcast e-mail from the Commissioner:

From: ^Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:40 PM
Subject: COMMISSIONER'S BROADCAST--02/05/09

A Message To All SSA And DDS Employees

Subject: AFGE Advertisement Regarding Employees' Activities Association

Below is a statement I have just released concerning the Employees' Activities Association (EAA). Our plan is to replace and improve important services previously supplied by the EAA, as we did when we brought the Woodlawn and Metro West child care centers into compliance with GSA policy and empowered the parents to choose the provider who can best serve them and their children.

Michael J. Astrue

Commissioner

Statement of Commissioner Michael J. Astrue Concerning the American Federation of Government Employees' (AFGE) Advertisement Regarding the Employees' Activities Association (EAA)

For nearly two decades, the Social Security Administration has entered into no-bid, no-audit contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to one well-connected organization, the Employees' Activities Association (EAA). That era is over.

The EAA has stubbornly stonewalled our efforts to conduct an audit of its activities and the activities of its secretive for-profit subsidiaries. AFGE's officers have responded to our efforts to ensure that federal laws and policies are followed by repeatedly threatening political retaliation against me and members of Social Security’s career civil service.

The American public is demanding honesty, transparency, and compliance with the law. I will continue to uphold these principles regardless of the inaccurate attacks that stance generates.

I have asked Congress to direct the Government Accountability Office to do the full audit that the EAA has thus far resisted.

I also want to thank the Social Security employees who first blew the whistle on the EAA, and I want to assure them that we will continue to stand by them.

Social Security has also sent this out as a Press Release.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: "The American public is demanding honesty, transparency, and compliance with the law. I will continue to uphold these principles regardless of the inaccurate attacks that stance generates."

I guess this means no more sensitive AMs and EMs.

"I also want to thank the Social Security employees who first blew the whistle on the EAA, and I want to assure them that we will continue to stand by them."

I wonder how much he would thank an SSA employee blowing the whistle on something SSA had done wrong.; 5:21 PM, February 05, 2009
Anonymous said...: This is so over the top - why in the world would the COSS do a pr thing to his employees that is anti-afge? It has zero effect practically on any IG inspection. It only solidifies his anti-union posture. Did he notice that a Democrat just took office as his boss? The guy is going out as a crackpot. There is no way that any Congressionally approved aide will be confirmed unless it is satisfactory to the current admin.; 5:58 PM, February 05, 2009
Anonymous said...: Michael Astrue wouldn't know how to stand by an SSA bargaining unit employee even if there was a neon "stand here" sign complete with blinking arrows. Considering his past two years of anti Union and anti employee leadership, I find this talk of principles hard to believe. Hidden agenda? Way more believable.; 8:18 PM, February 05, 2009
Anonymous said...: This is a very ingenious device for extrication from a politically untenable or otherwise uncomfortable position: by ratcheting up the war of words with AFGE, which may very likely result in back channel "suggestions" that he reconsider his "commitment" to stay his full term, he is then in a position to assume the mantle of defender against waste and no-bid contracts (can anyone say "Halliburton") and the evil unions and become a hero to the right/republicans after he is forced out/fired/quits after declaring victory, etc. etc. thereby retaining a base and appeal for his political future. Wheels within wheels.; 8:20 PM, February 05, 2009
Anonymous said...: I say steel cage match Astrue vs Gage. I would have said mud or jello wrestling, but I don't think anyone wants to see those two in a swimsuit. LOL; 9:08 PM, February 05, 2009
Anonymous said...: It is certainly nice that the COSS is standing by those who blew the whistle on the EAA. However, he has skewered those employees who have blown the whistle on corrupt agency managers.; 9:03 AM, February 06, 2009
Anonymous said...: SSA folks in field wouldn't have had any idea this was going on if the COSS hadn't sent out this broadcast. Interesting that he sees a need to defend himself.; 9:03 AM, February 06, 2009
Anonymous said...: I'm sure the union has, at some time or other, done something actually good for SSA. However, in my 27-year experience, they have exhibited intimidating and thuggish behavior that is unforgivable. Now that a Democrat is in the White House, they are determined to get retribution for 8 years of perceived powerlessness. In my opinion, Astrue is just what the doctor ordered for this Agency right now. I don't want some other hack (like Barnhart) coming in and destroying things again - and this can happen under Democrats or Republicans. SAVE MIKE ASTRUE!!!!; 9:44 AM, February 06, 2009
Anonymous said...: Perhaps it would help your readers to have some context for this brouhaha if I explain a little about what the EAA is and what the issues are here.

The EAA is a voluntary employee association created to do things like sponsor group outings at Camden Yards for an Orioles baseball game; obtain group discounts for trips, or tickets to theme parks, etc. Employees who choose to join pay annual dues (I have been a dues-paying member for more than 20 years). The EAA has a full-time staff who work for the EAA, funded by those dues. In other words, the EAA is a non-governmental organization supporting social and recreational activities of SSA employees outside of work.

The agency has traditionally made a small space available in the headquarters complex for the EAA, free of charge, as a service to employees. From the early 1940s—when the EAA was formed—until very recently, the EAA was a social organization of employees. However, in recent years, the EAA has morphed itself into a for-profit business. Now the EAA runs a Fitness Center and a Child Care Center (on government property) and charges employees for the use of these facilities. All of these activities receive taxpayer subsidies in the form of free space and other support from the agency. (For example, the Child Care Center gets a $900,000 per year subsidy—of taxpayers money—from SSA.)

Over the years, the EAA has managed to expand its space in the government building to include several rooms, which they have been using to sell merchandise from individual vendors—who they choose without public review, comment, or open bidding. So each morning at the SSA headquarters, a troop of outside vendors are admitted to the building and they set up shop selling everything from handbags to CDs to clothing to religious artifacts. These vendors do a secret deal with the EAA and the EAA gets a cut of their profits.

So, what we have is an employee organization which is operating several businesses on government property, for their personal profit, without oversight, review, contracts, or reporting. As this operation has grown in size and visibility it occurred to Commissioner Astrue to ask the EAA officials to provide the agency with an accounting of their activities and the processes used to select vendors. The EAA refused to do so, insisting their operations were private and their business practices would remain secret. This led the Commissioner to take the perfectly sensible and legitimate action of ending the EAA’s privileged access to free space in a tax payer funded government facility. This sudden loss of their considerable income opportunities is what the EAA is upset about.

In my opinion, as an EAA member, the Commissioner’s actions are appropriate and long overdue.; 12:14 PM, February 06, 2009
Anonymous said...: I absolutely agree. One clarification is that the EAA is not really voluntary. For any employee to join the fitness center or to enroll a child in the child care center, the employee HAD to be a member of the EAA. Although membership was only $5 a year, that's not voluntary...and given the EAA is largely connected to and controlled by the Union, that seems contrast to employees being able to decline being in the Union without retribution. I've heard about the good ol days when the EAA organized softball teams and social events. It's nothing of the sort now. And the child care center is no longer run by the EAA, for good reasons. If the EAA really were an EAA, then employees would be going to play softball and then happy hour, instead of their being these conflicts. In every relationship, most fights are about money... and it's fair to assume this one is about money too. There has to be accountability everywhere in government.... even EAAs and Unions.; 1:47 PM, February 06, 2009