AFGE Union Leaders Under Attack...  Literally & Physically!

On May 15, 2012 Local 2152 President John Copeland, Vice President David DeSilva, and other officers and members of their local attended a crime awareness class at the VA Hospital in Reno, NV presented by OIG Supervisory Agent Paul Lore.  

The OIG or Office of Inspector General who employs Supervisory Agent Paul Lore, is a government agency with a mission. According to the OIG website their mission is 'to protect the integrity of Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) programs as well as the health and welfare of program beneficiaries'.  To VA employees they are an internal law enforcement agency within VA Medical System, and operate kind of like the VA's very own, private Secret Service.

AFGE Local 2152 is located in Reno Nevada and is the union that represents employees working at the VA Medical Center there.  You know...those nice, everyday working people, who provide the medical care and services to our military veterans. 

Well, towards the end of this 'crime awareness class' OIG Supervisory Agent Paul Lore stated that he made some special slides specifically for Reno, as there seemed to be a misunderstanding with the Union. The agent showed the last four slides that basically said the OIG did not need to notify the Union of an investigation and that the union’s contract did not apply to the OIG.

VP DeSilva as an AFGE Union Officer did the proper thing by disagreeing with the agent and offering a copy of an Federal Labor Relation Authority and Supreme Court's ruling showing otherwise.  VP DeSilva turned to the VA employees present, and told them that their union, AFGE Local 2152 disagreed with the OIG and has a copy of a Supreme Court ruling to the contrary.

OIG Supervisory Agent Paul Lore ended the class and as people left he walked over to the table where the union leaders were sitting.  He leaned over VP DeSilva to continue his argument.  Local 2152 President John Copeland sensing that Agent Paul Lore was a little out of control decided to get his union officers, and stewards out of there and to a safe place.  He motioned to the union folks that it was time to leave.  As the union officers stood up, and were leaving.  OIG Supervisory Agent Paul Lore followed them continuing to badger and harass them.  In the hallway outside of the room OIG Supervisory Agent Paul Lore blocked VP DeSilva from leaving. The other union leaders stayed at VP Desilvas side fearful of what Agent Lore may do to him if they left. Agent Paul Lore was so close to AFGE Local 2152 VP DeSilva that he was spitting in VP DeSilva's face as he yelled at him.  VP Desilva told Agent Lore to back up.   To the shock of the other union leaders present OIG Supervisory Agent Paul Lore grabbed Mr. DeSilva, manhandling and threatening him.

AFGE Local 2152's  President John Copeland and 2nd VP Jeanine Swygman began pleading with the agent to release AFGE VP DeSilva and that we were just trying to leave.  The agent finally released AFGE VP DeSilva and the union officers quickly departed the building out of fear and consulted with their local attorney.

In a statement from AFGE Local President John Copeland "The VA administration is so frustrated that AFGE Local 2152 will not allow them to violate our union contract and abuse the Reno VA employees that they have sent the OIG thugs to harass, intimidate, and assault our union officers. This unprovoked, heavy handed, illegal assault on an AFGE Union Officer is completely unacceptable.  We need to show them that any assault of Union Officers, union members, or any employee for that matter will not be tolerated by AFGE or by the labor movement."

Well Agent Lore if you wanted to teach our members crime awareness you certainly accomplished that. Not only are union members 'aware', but they are also willing to report it.

Click here to send your message to the Veterans Administration, and the OIG that organized labor is no longer in the dark days before the Wagner Act.  We will not tolerate physical attacks and intimidation by government thugs on our union leaders or our members. 

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Send a your message to VAOIT that battery and abuse of our union leaders will not be tolerated.