Luke Rosiak of the Daily Caller highlights a disturbing incident involving ethics, labor unions, and the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs.
A government employee union official physically attacked a law enforcement officer in Nevada while arguing that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workers aren’t obligated to help expose official corruption and criminality by cooperating with the agency’s independent watchdog.
The attack occurred in Reno in 2012 as the Inspector General’s office (IG) presented a slideshow to a group of VA employees about investigating integrity violations. David de Silva, then vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees local union, became incensed and got physical. Police had to separate the men.
The previously-unreported fight and labor dispute was revealed in arbitration documents from an obscure federal mediator. TheDCNF noticed the document because the AFGE National VA Council boasted about the ruling.
De Silva was angry that the slideshow emphasized cooperating with probes of problems at VA, saying employees there could refuse to say anything to government investigators just as accused criminals can remain silent with police.
During “the OIG’s slide presentation on crime prevention and awareness, 30 or more employees of the VA were in attendance,” states a November 2013 labor arbitration report stemming from the fight. Included in the audience was union vice-president David de Silva, who was also a former employee of the VA.”
“At some point during the slide presentation, VP de Silva interrupted OIG Agent Lore’s presentation alleging that Agent Lore was putting forth incorrect information regarding bargaining unit employees rights,” the report continues. A verbal exchange between the two men ensued that escalated into a physical altercation later in the hallway. The police were called, who then took charge and handled the altercation.”
