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USDA continues implementation of reorganization

The deputy secretary with the USDA says the agency is well into implementing its announced reorganization plans.

Stephen Vaden says the goal of relocating several mission areas into five regional hubs is to improve cost savings and efficiency.

“And that’s by getting more of our employees closer to the people that we serve and save money doing so by shedding buildings here in Washington, D.C., which have $2 billion worth of backlog maintenance and are more than 60% empty,” he says.

Thousands of employees are being relocated from D.C. to hubs in Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I have toured each and every facility that our USDA employees will be relocated to.”  He says, “I’ve seen it for my own eyes in order to ensure that the facilities are up to par and are places where I would want to work if I were required to report to work there.”

Vaden says agreements have been reached with several employee unions as part of the moves.

“We have frontline workers who are represented by union leadership that they themselves have voted for, reaching voluntary agreements with USDA,” he says.

However, a broad coalition of labor unions, including American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and non-profits have filed for an injunction calling the reorganization unlawful.  Vaden tells Brownfield…

“Those who remain with us, their jobs are guaranteed as long as they move.”  He says, “And we’ve made it clear that we want them to move. For those who do not move, we will have hiring actions in place to hire at our hub locations to fill their slots.”

Vaden says most elements of the agency’s reorganization are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

In a release, AFGE National President Everett Kelley said, “USDA employees keep our food safe, stand behind our farmers, make sure our children are fed, and keep thousands of American businesses running. They live and work in communities all across this country. This administration keeps showing it won’t look out for Americans, pushing an unlawful reorganization of USDA that would gut the workforce our country depends on.  AFGE is proud that these public servants have a collective voice through AFGE, and we are proud to help lead the fight to stop this unlawful reorganization. No administration gets to break the law to dismantle an agency that feeds this nation.” 

AFSCME President Lee Saunders said, “From helping our farmers get their products to market, to assisting with farm loans and providing infrastructure improvements in rural communities, to protecting American agricultural exports through the Foreign Agricultural Service, the AFSCME members targeted by this ‘reorganization’ provide essential services that strengthen rural communities and support America’s food supply.  This administration is trying to gut the agency that helps farmers stay in business and puts food on working families’ tables so it can hand out even more tax cuts to billionaires. We will continue fighting for these public service workers and the farmers, families, and communities across the country who rely on the services they provide every day.”

AUDIO: Stephen Vaden – USDA