HHS Told to Go Back to Bargaining Table With Union Workers

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services engaged in unfair labor practices by bargaining a new contract in bad faith and prematurely declaring that the negotiations had reached a dead end, an arbitrator has ruled.

Arbitrator Robert Creo said HHS eliminated contract articles in the parties’ previous collective bargaining agreement, and then declared an impasse without making a good-faith effort to bargain. The decision was issued in response to a grievance filed by the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 14,000 HHS employees. Creo’s decision was delivered to the union Oct. 3, the union said.

The parties have ...