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NTEU e-Bulletin
Stalemate Continues Over DHS Funding
Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after a recess with new pressure to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown. Some DHS employees run the risk of working without a paycheck this week, giving new urgency to the talks.
As DHS entered its second week of operations without funding, Republicans and Democrats remain entrenched in negotiations over policy changes related to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Join NTEU in urging Congress and the White House to come to a bipartisan agreement and end this partial government shutdown now.
The Power of Unions: Chapter 26 Helps Member Through Medical Crisis
Shortly after beginning her career at the IRS, Social Scientist Ashley Dobbins-Stewart suffered a stroke following the birth of her youngest child. The stroke caused paralysis on her right side, along with expressive aphasia, which can make speaking full sentences difficult. Doctors said she’d never walk or talk again, making a return-to-work implausible for the foreseeable future.
However, she did not let this defeat her and turned to her union for help. Chapter 26 (IRS Georgia) leaders solicited for leave donations, and members responded with enough leave for Dobbins-Stewart to take six months to focus on her recovery.
“Many employees are aware of options, like the leave transfer program, and other resources available in the workplace,” said Chapter 26 President Lakisha Murphy. “But having a union and partnering with your union is the best way to maximize those resources for the best outcome. We stand ready to navigate challenges with you.”
“The time was invaluable. It gave me the ability to focus fully on my recovery so I could learn how to walk and talk again without the added stress of financial uncertainty,” said Dobbins-Stewart, who works in Taxpayer Services. “That support helped me more than words can express.”
Defying the odds, Dobbins-Stewart returned to the IRS, but she faced discrimination from a coworker because of her aphasia. After her request for an intervention received no response from management, Dobbins-Stewart knew exactly where to go: her union. The chapter filed a grievance citing EEO violations and won--Dobbins-Stewart was transferred to a different team.
“The union has consistently shown up for me during the most difficult moments of my life, and I am eternally grateful for that advocacy, protection, and compassion,” said Dobbins-Stewart. “Our union is relentless. Your efforts change lives, and I am living proof of that.”
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