Labor & Employment Law

Social Security Dept. ?Flagrantly Violated? Contract in Firing

By James Parks

Saying the Social Security Administration (SSA) showed ?reckless indifference? and ?flagrantly violated? its contract with AFGE, an independent arbitrator ordered the agency to reinstate a 13-year employee who was fired last year. She also will receive her back wages with interest and $200,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

Yadia Maglione Jones, a member of  AFGE Local 2505, is the last of the ?Little Rock 3??three  employees who were disciplined after a benefits payment they worked on and approved turned out to be fraudulent. The union filed grievances in all three cases. The first case was decided in June. The second case was settled without a hearing.

?The strong language used by the arbitrator admonishing the agency illustrates the unabashed ferocity in which employees are treated under the current SSA leadership,? Patti McGowan, an attorney with AFGE, said in June.

This [awarding of punitive damages] is a first for an SSA local in arbitration. The unprecedented sums of damages awarded to our member should serve as a wake-up call. We won?t let these blatant injustices to our members stand.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on October 25, 2010 (boomark / email).