John,

As I said in my message yesterday, the National Executive Council is committed to being transparent with our members and our employees on the steps that AFGE is taking in response to the serious allegations of misconduct that have been made against President Cox and how the union intends to move forward.

Today, I have an important update on our progress. The Legal Rights Committee of the NEC has selected Working IDEAL to conduct an independent, third-party investigation into these allegations of misconduct and perform an analysis of our policies and practices, led by Jenny Yang, former Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They have assured us they can get the investigation underway quickly.

Working IDEAL, Ms. Yang, and their team bring specialized experience in investigating specific allegations of misconduct and analyzing policy, practice and culture to help identify unknown issues and risk factors for organizations like AFGE. Selecting them to conduct this investigation and analysis will ensure an open, fair and transparent process of investigating allegations, holding anyone found to have engaged in misconduct accountable, and reviewing and strengthening our policies and procedures around anti-discrimination and anti-harassment. In order to reinforce the independence of this investigation, NVP George McCubbin as the chair of the NEC’s Legal Rights Committee, not any member of AFGE staff, will be the point person coordinating with Working IDEAL. This will ensure they have the full access and cooperation they need to conduct a thorough and effective investigation.

As an AFGE member, you should also know that while we conduct this investigation and review of our policies, the critical work of our union will continue uninterrupted. We are in multiple important fights that federal and D.C. government workers desperately need to win, and we pledge to you that we won’t miss a beat even while we deal with these serious allegations.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this process and make information available to you as quickly as possible. The National Executive Council is committed to being transparent about what is happening, keeping you informed, and making sure our actions are in line with our words and our values throughout this process.

Dr. Everett B. Kelley
National Secretary-Treasurer, AFGE

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