IFPTE Local 777

Scientists at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, are facing a reorganization that would see some of them transferred under the control of the USACE office in Huntington, West Virginia. This move is not for policy reasons, it’s to appease a wetland mitigation bank and a real estate developer.

These affected workers immediately gathered to form an organizing committee, along with affected workers from AFGE local unions who lost agency recognition of their unions and had their contracts allegedly terminated by Pete Hegseth. The group brainstormed a list of ways they’d be affected — which included effects on the environment and communities they serve every day. They’ve been working with the Port of Pittsburgh and US Congressman Chris DeLuzio to address the issue politically.

Today, these Pittsburgh scientists filed a list of demands at the bargaining table. The Union proposes and insists that the regional USACE Commander execute this agreement for USACE, so that it’s clear that Huntington District must also live up to this agreement.

Here’s the demands:

1. USACE will, within 15 business days of execution of this Agreement, file a Representation Petition with the Federal Labor Relations Authority seeking recognition of IFPTE Local 777 as exclusive representative of a unit of LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office employees under FLRA successorship principles.
   • USACE will not oppose or contest the appropriateness of a unit described as “all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office employees; excluding all management officials, supervisors, and employees described in 5 U.S.C. § 7112 (b) (2), (3), (4), (6), and (7)” in any proceeding initiated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
   • USACE will honor the terms of all collective bargaining agreements currently in effect (unexpired or honored by past practice) to the maximum extent not prohibited by law or government-wide regulation until a successor collective bargaining agreement is reached or this Agreement expires.
2. The reassignment of employees will not take effect until USACE provides an organizational chart showing which positions will be realigned and the reporting relationships within the LRH Regulatory Division.
3. The realignment will not impact salaries, duty locations, position descriptions, or grades of affected employees, nor will workload substantially change for affected employees, with the understanding that this does not affect management’s rights under §7106(a) subject to notice and opportunity for bargaining for subsequent changes in working conditions of affected employees.
4. USACE shall co-locate the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office with the LRP Headquarters.
5. LRH Pittsburgh Field Office staff will be allowed to participate in LRP Headquarters events such as Engineer Day and holiday celebrations to the same extent as LRP Headquarters staff.
6. Closures or liberal leave or liberal telework status for the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office staff will match those for the LRP Headquarters staff (e.g., for weather and safety purposes). The Agency will establish and utilize methods for communicating office status updates with LRH Regulatory Field Office staff that are integrated with communications to LRP Headquarters staff.
7. USACE must provide and maintain government-issued cellular phones for each bargaining unit (eligible) employee of the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office.
8. USACE agrees to offer mass transit (e.g., Army Mass Transit Benefit Program) and childcare (e.g., Military Childcare in Your Neighborhood Program) benefits to the same or greater extent as that offered by either LRP or LRH.
9. USACE agrees to establish a written local commuting area for the purposes of defining local travel as used in the Joint Travel Regulation, with appropriate notice and opportunity to bargain for affected LRP bargaining unit employees.
10. The Parties agree that:
    • A special need of the agency exists for the employees’ services, which makes it essential to retain the employees reassigned from LRP to the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office. 5 CFR 575.305(b)(1).
    • There is a high risk that a significant number of the employees reassigned from LRP to the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office would be likely to leave the Federal service in the absence of a retention incentive. 5 CFR 575.305(b)(2).
11. USACE will honor all reasonable accommodations currently in effect, according to their stated terms, for affected employees with disabilities.
12. USACE will honor the Compressed Work Schedule and Flexible Work Schedule provisions of Pittsburgh District Regulation 690-1-17 issued July 8, 2024 for the employees of the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office; LRH core hours notwithstanding.
13. USACE will honor the Personal Protective Equipment provisions of Pittsburgh District Regulation 385-1-1 dated December 6, 2012 (Change 1 dated April 24, 2015) for the employees of the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office.
14. USACE will meet with each affected bargaining unit employee within 20 business days of the effective date of the transfer to transition DPMAP performance plans, Individual Development Plans (IDPs), safety position hazard analyses (PHAs), and telework agreements.
    • In the event that the Agency determines it will change any of the substantive terms of any of these listed items less than one year from the effective date of the transfer of affected employees to LRH, the Agency agrees to provide to the maximum practicable extent, alternate dispute resolution options at the affected employee’s request. These options may include third-party mediation, third-party fact finding, or other techniques.
15. The Parties may mutually agree to extend any timeframe in this agreement; and the deadlines may be equitably tolled for good cause.

The Parties may mutually agree to extend any timeframe in this agreement; and the deadlines may be equitably tolled for good cause.

This Agreement shall be effective until superseded by a term Collective Bargaining Agreement covering the employees of the LRH Pittsburgh Regulatory Field Office.

The workers call on management to take this matter seriously; while they publicly announced (through the development lawyers who pushed for the change) an effective date of October 1, 2026, collective bargaining must be complete before the change may be implemented.

We stand with you, Pittsburgh regulators!