The announced plan of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to make whole the members of the New England fishing community harmed at the hands of federal fisheries law enforcers has run up against the labor union at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The National Weather Service Employees Organization, which represents 4,800 NOAA employees including the trio of enforcement and litigation lawyers in the Northeast region headquarterd in Gloucester, warned Tuesday that key parts of the law enforcement reform package outlined by Locke in recent days would require collective bargaining.
In so claiming, the union put a harsh analysis on the announcement made Monday by Locke in Boston that he was going to use half the existing fund of fines taken from the industry for reinvestment guided by industry recommendations.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.