BOSTON — The union for federal attorneys who prosecute fishery law violators is threatening to file an unfair labor practice charge after a report accused attorneys in the Northeast of abusive behavior.
The National Weather Service Employees Organization today warned federal regulators to back off changes announced last week by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, including revisiting some judgments against fishermen.
Locke’s announcement came in response to a report by his agency’s inspector general on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law enforcement agency.
Union attorney Marguerite Matera said any changes must, by law, be negotiated.
She also called the IG’s allegations “spurious” and suggested his report was driven by worried politicians trying to win favor with constituents during an election year. She said that “desperation” is no excuse for violating federal labor law.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.