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Union says EPA must reinstate workers placed on leave due to a dissenting letter.

Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (July 10) - A union official wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Thursday that employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who were recently placed on leave for signing a critical letter of Trump's administration policies should be reinstated. The 139 employees and hundreds of other EPA personnel signed the letter of June 30, accusing the agency harmful deregulatory action and ignoring science. Under the direction of President Donald Trump's directives, the agency is going through a major restructuring, which includes staff reductions, elimination of grant programs and grants, and environmental justice.

In a letter to Zeldin, Justin Chen, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238 which represents over 8,000 EPA staff, stated that putting the employees on leave constituted illegal retaliation. All investigations and disciplinary actions should also be stopped.

Chen stated that "These employees engaged protected speech in a matter of public concern and their actions are protected by federal law as well as our collective bargaining contract."

The EPA didn't immediately respond to a comment request. The agency has previously stated that it has a “zero-tolerance” policy against career bureaucrats who illegally undermine, sabotage, and undercut the agenda of the administration.

(source: Reuters)