In a letter to Eric Schaaf, Regional Counsel of EPA Region 2, dozens of ORC attorneys called on him to stand up for their safety and convey their concerns to senior leadership regarding the unnecessary pressure to resume working at regional offices before the danger of the coronavirus pandemic has passed. InsideEPA published the letter without the nearly 40 signatures to protect the staffers from possible retaliation for speaking out. The letter echoes many of the arguments that NTEU Chapter 280 and the other EPA unions have been making repeatedly since the public health national emergency was declared in March.
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As the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections across the country continues to soar, NTEU is pressing EPA management to continue maximum telework flexibility for all employees at all facilities. We call upon the Administrator to acknowledge the overwhelming success of this unprecedented shift to virtually complete telework, and to commit to continuing in this manner until it is truly safe and beneficial for employees to travel to and from the workplace every day.