On this page, inside each of the newsletters, the reader will find the richest source of details about the founding and day-to-day operation of a federal sector labor union created and led by employees dedicated to its agency’s mission and its bargaining unit members interests. During its organizing phase, the political environment in the U.S. was analogous to that at the beginning of the Trump Administration, but not quite as ominous insofar as only one federal Branch in 1981 was clearly under control by anti-labor and anti-environmental forces. Current (mid-2017) EPA staff face stern challenges, and we – and other EPA alumni – continue to support them and their mission.
Inside the Fishbowl was the newsletter of NFFE Local 2050, which the union began publishing – (first, by posting on bulletin boards!) in 1985. Gradually as the union became better established as a force within EPA headquarters we began distributing desk-to-desk, and finally won the right to have it delivered to all members of the professional bargaining unit via the internal EPA mail system.
First several volumes were produced before double-sided, stapled copying was available on EPA copy machines. Individual Fishbowl copies were hand stapled and single sided. (The stapler used during that time is still in possession of JWH.) All of that work was done after or before official work hours and on weekends, because use of “official time” for such activities had not yet been established by contract with EPA management.
The newsletter’s name came from a statement by William Ruckelshaus made early in his second term as Administrator. He was EPA’s first Administrator (12/1970 – 04/1973), and took on his second tour of duty to resuscitate the Agency after the administration of Anne Gorsuch had brought disgrace upon it. Bill’s admonition to the staff was, “We must conduct our affairs at EPA as if we worked inside a fishbowl.”
NFFE Local 2050 adopted that phrase not only is its newsletter’s name, but as its fundamental operating philosophy. The whole Agency, the Congress, the judiciary and the general public would have access to what the Local stood for, what issues it took on, and how it performed. During its early years the union send copies to other labor organizations…within government and in the private sector. We have included a link to one of the responses we received from NFFE Local 1827 after sending the March-April, 1992 issue to that union.
Also we include a link to the very first report from NFFE 2050 to its bargaining unit, posted to bulletin boards October 12, 1984…four months after having won our representational election in June of that year by a 90% plurality.
Print editions of the ‘Bowl ended in mid 2001, to be replaced by on-line editions that appeared on the union’s website until 2008. The May-June edition of that year was the last ever to appear.
The ‘Bowl had a great run, making news of the HQ professionals’ labor union’s activities available in great detail, not only to members of this bargaining unit, the EPA Headquarters community, and – as organized labor within EPA came together in the Labor Coalition – all labor leaders of the Agency, but to whomever else in the world might find those ground breaking activities of interest.
See also: Why We Organized Page
Volume 1 (1985) HIGHLIHGTS Volume 1 covers Local 2050’s first step out into defining ethical performance by professional employees AND management as a working conditions issue. Specifically it dealt with EPA’s roll back of asbestos regulations under pressure by the Office of Management and Budget after that agency held secret talks with Canadian asbestos mining interests.
It also has our first contact with the issue of shoddy contractor produced “science” in support of a drinking water regulation that had been pre-determined by political pressure on the Office of Water. The regulation in question was the Recommended Maximum Contaminant Level (now, Maximum Contaminant Level Goal), the non-enforceable, health science based standard that protects against any known or anticipated adverse effect on health, for fluoride. The union’s involvement in this issue continued into the 21st Century. The Local was eventually joined by other EPA unions on this subject. See “Fluoride” on the Key Issues page.
Volume 2 (1986) HIGHLIGHTS Volume 2 reports on NFFE 2050’s first contract with EPA and on continuing work on the asbestos and fluoride issues as matters of working conditions.
Volume 3 (1987) HIGHLIGHTS This volume marks the first work of the Local on indoor air quality among other representational matters. It was in Fall of 1987 that new carpet began to be installed at Waterside Mall and Fairchild Bldg. headquarters workplaces. See “Toxic Carpet” on the Key Issues page.
Volume 4 (1988) HIGHLIGHTS VOLUME 4 reports on the outbreak of serious health problems, especially among Waterside Mall workers, associated with new carpeting.The union was invited to testify before Congress on the carpet issue, and the indoor air problems at EPA were covered by PBS television. This became a very contentious issue with EPA management that resulted in breakdowns in negotiations on professional ethics and compressed work week (CWW). Eventually the latter was settled and agreement was reached between the union and management, although Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response managers tried to deny CWW to their employees. The union fought back. The carpet dispute also led EPA to refuse to distribute Inside the Fishbowl to employees. The union fought back.
Volume 5 (1989) HIGHLIGHTS Volume 5 reports on invited testimony given before Congress on OMB’s influence, on contracting out professional work, and on Cabinet status for EPA. The Institute for Policy Studies invited the union to speak on its role at EPA, which resulted in a publication in the Environmental Law Reporter titled, “The Other Voice From EPA: The Role of the Headquarters Professional’s Union,” published here on the Why We Organized page. The union bargained alternative work space for employees sickened by carpet emissions and unable to enter Waterside Mall office spaces. Management agreed to remove carpet after results of a health and environment survey are published. Union reported on risk assessment work related to carpet emissions. Media pick up on union activity on carpet and fluoride issues.
Fishbowl Vol. 5 Nos. 1-3 (1989)
Fishbowl Vol. 5 Nos.4-6 (1989)
Fishbowl Vol. 5 Nos. 7-9 (1989)
Volume 6 (1990) HIGHLIGHTS In this volume are reports on a survey of employees about a new building for EPA, the union’s intervention to defend program office attorneys in a dispute with the Office of General Counsel, and an end-of-fiscal year threatened furlough of federal employees. The union filed a TSCA section 21 petition with EPA dealing with toxic carpets. This happened after EPA refused to use data it collected on the Waterside Mall experience with carpeting in dealing with the national scale of the problem. The petition was denied and EPA instead set up the Carpet Policy Dialogue, which ran for 13 months. See: Key Issues/ Toxic Carpet page/subpage for much more detail and documentation on that issue. The issue of asbestos in the Crystal Mall-2 work place emerged, and the Roachez cartoon feature made its first appearance. An article titled “Aerosols, Arson and EPA,” was published, as was more on fluoride and cancer.
Volume 7 (1991) HIGHLIGHTS Volume 7 covers, among other items, diversity and discrimination at headquarters, reports on the Carpet Policy Dialogue, the poem “Below Regulatory Concern,” and management’s attempts to silence or crush or destroy NFFE Local 2050, and how the union fought back, won, drove off the responsible Assistant Administrator, and into the bargain won the four full-time positions in the union office that all subsequent Presidents, Executive Vice-Presidents, Chief Stewards and Senior Vice-Presidents have been able to use to represent headquarters professionals. EPA then granted AFGE Local 3331, representing the non-professional bargaining unit, five FTEs – Local 3331’s bargaining unit was considerable larger than NFFE 2050’s. Details are in Vol. 8. Numbers 5 and 6 of Volume 7 are particularly germane to the union’s fight for survival.
Volume 8 (1992) HIGHLIGHTS Volume 8 covers details of the union’s win on using 4 full-time positions on official time and its connection with a ruling in the union’s favor by the Federal Labor Relations Authority. EPA’s firing of Office of Water Senior Toxicologist Dr. William Marcus for – as a trial judge later ruled – his opposition to EPA’s ignoring the carcinogenicity of fluoride. Bill sued to get his job back and won. Details and documentation in Key Issues/Fluoride. Carpet Policy Dialogue is critiqued for its strong support of the carpet industry led by EPA’s official representative to the Dialogue. There is more, including documents, on these topics on the Key Issues page.
Volume 9 (1993) HIGHLIGHTS There was so much news toward the end of 1993 that some confusion in numbering issues and ascribing months ensued. The final article in this issue, “Dietrich’s Law” is a penetrating look at how sweetheart deals between DOJ and companies identified by EPA as egregious law violators was uncovered by Richard Emory of EPA’s Office of Enforcement, with Emory subsequently punished by EPA management. He was subsequently exonerated through efforts of the Government Accountability Project and Local 2050 and became an honored member of the union’s Executive Board. See “Dietrich’s Law” on the Professional Ethics/Scientific Integrity Page.
Vol 9 No. 2 No. 3 is missing…
Vol 9 No.8A This was an especially noteworthy issue of the Fishbowl, containing articles how EPA got to Federal Triangle, Richard Emory’s exoneration, re-inventing government, and upper management’s shallow devotion to integrity, among others.
Unfortunately, only one Number of Volume 10 (1994) exists, Number 7, which contains the union’s vision for partnership and a critique of its status as of July 1994. That year saw the union’s transition from NFFE Local 2050 through independent union, Environmental Employees Collectively Organized – EECO, to NTEU Chapter 280. Information about that transition is on the Summary History page. Vol 10 No.7
Volume 11 (1995) HIGHLIGHTS Volume 11 covers part of the brief history of EECO, and , the trusteeship the union was subjected to by NFFE National Office, and finally restoration of NFFE Local 2050 and its elected officers to full representational status. in 1994 the Gingrich Congress, with its “Contract on America” led to real and justified fear of substantial cuts in EPA staff, a.k.a. Reductions in Force RIFs. In 1997 EPA’s labor unions engaged in prolonged negotiations with management to deal with the threat. This is all reported in Volume 11.
Volume 12 (1996) HIGHLIGHTS The Volume covers budget and anti-environmental agendas, whistleblower Jeff Van Ee, and a hard fought election. Comments by a candidate who lost and responses by others have not been scanned in.
HIGHLIGHTS The Volume covers a tumultuous year in the union’s history, 1997. Bitter election contests and the transition from NFFE to NTEU, which was a difficult decision by the membership. No. 1 contains a critique of partnership, news of bargaining on a code of professional ethics, and a piece by Member Richard Emory on the role of the Inspector General; Dick was a candidate for that position at EPA and a victorious, protected whistleblower whose story is elsewhere on this site. No. 2 reports on the award of $4.2 million to a plaintiff in a toxic carpet lawsuit. No. 3 is an election issue. No. 4 contains a number of juicy articles including more from Dick Emory on the IG’s role, a piece by Dwight Welch on “The White Collar Sweatshop,” the union’s vote to support a state-wide ban on fluoridation in California, and Editor’s Comments on social injustice, welfare “reform” under Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton, and thoughts about the dedication of the Franklin Roosevelt memorial. No. 5 has stories about a dramatic Greenpeace demonstration at HQ, Clinton’s EPA’s failures in connection with the WTI Incinerator in Ohio, Part One of Brian Dementi’s struggles for scientific integrity on malathion (See Organophosphates/Malathion on the Key Issues Page) – Part 2 is in No. 6, coverage of the UPS strike, the union’s endorsement of Dick Emory for IG, and other interesting material – a great issue of the “Bowl.” No. 6 covers Part 2 of the Dementi story, disarray at NFFE (which led to our move to NTEU), and a National Partnership Council meeting. Vol. 13 (1997) No. 1.
- HIGHLIGHTS The volume covers the full transition of the union to Chapter 280, National Treasury Employees Union, reports on downstream events from the toxic carpet crisis, and an important victory (in No.1) by Dwight Welch, who, after years of struggle, was able to force EPA to recognize that the propane propellant in pesticide aerosols really is FLAMMABLE, and to issue a labeling rule warning consumers of that fact. No. 2 is an election issue. No. 3 cites union accomplishments in 1997, and has articles on NYC waste dumping in Virginia (by Brian Dement), and a fluoride toxicity symposium in which Bob Carton and Bill Hirzy were presenters. Vol. 14 Nos 1-3
Vol. 14 No.4
Vol 15 (1999) HIGHLIGHTS No.1 contains Dwight Welch’s piece on the environmental justice aspects of water fluoridation. No. 2 has news of the NTEU National Convention at which V.P. Al Gore spoke. No.3 is an election issue. No. 3 contains the union’s communication with Administrator Browner on diversity issues, our lobbying on behalf of EPA’s budget, and the union’s White Paper on fluoride toxicity.
Volume 16 (2000) HIGHLIGHTS Vol. 16 This volume contains articles on free speech for federal employees, attacks on the union by fluoridation promoters and our response (see the Fluoride Toxicity Page for more details), National Partnership Council news, publication of EPA’s Principles of Scientific Integrity (PSI), and our support for SEIU Local 82’s “Justice for Janitors” campaign. No. 2 is an election issue. No.3 has articles on racial discrimination and analyses of malathion and fluoride toxicity in light of the PSI.
Volume 17 (2001) HIGHLIGHTS No.1 , which is the only Number of that Volume in existence, and which marks the end of print editions of the ‘Bowl, has articles on our union’s negotiating for GS-15 non-supervisors positions in Pesticides Office, our referral of malathion issues to the Inspector General, NTEU President’s critique of a Heritage Foundation report, and fluoride activities.
Volume 18 (2002) HIGHLIGHTS. Fighting with management over the ineffectiveness of EPA’s highly touted “Principles of Scientific Integrity. The photo in the last link is the Chapter 280 Executive Board protesting the Agency’s refusal to enforce its highly touted “Principles of Scientific Integrity at the 2002 EPA Science Forum. In front Chief Steward Rosezella Canty-Letsome; then, from left Vice Presidents Arthur Chiu and Jeff Beaubier, Secretary Jacqueline Rose, Executive Vice President Dwight Welch, President James Murphy, Senior Vice President Bill Hirzy.
NTEU Chapter 280 Executive Board Protest at EPA Science Forum
Volume 19 (2003) Highlights
Volume 20, 2004 Highlights…….
Volume 21 (2005) Highlights…
Volume 22 (2006) Highlights
Volume 22- continued- (2007) Highlights…Each year since the beginning of this newsletter’s publication in 1985, every year’s newsletters were assigned a succeeding Volume Numbers. In 2007 the editor decided to make a change, so that 2007’s editions of The ‘Bowl were not assigned a new Volume Number after 2006’s Number of Volume 22, as you can see. In the last year when the union’s own website was in publication, the editor assigned Volume 23 to the one and only remaining Inside the Fishbowl. The ‘Bowl had a great run, making news of the HQ professionals’ labor union’s activities available in great detail, not only to members of this bargaining unit, the EPA Headquarters community, and – as organized labor within EPA came together in the Labor Coalition – all labor leaders of the Agency, but to whomever else in the world might find those ground breaking activities of interest.
And so it goes……
Volume 23 (2008) Highlights: The final edition of Inside the Fishbowl proved to be too voluminous for MS Word to deal with in terms of conversion to PDF. So at the link immediately following, only the Masthead and Table of Contents are shown. The third item in the Table of Contents appears as a PDF file at the subsequent link. It details why the EPA Labor Coalition concluded that staying in a “Partnership” with management that cynically mocked the very idea of partnership was, finally, too much to stomach. The same document appears on the Collective Bargaining/Partnership Page of this website.