In an exciting precedent-setting victory, The Law Office of Eric L. Pines, PLLC has successfully helped a Veterans Administration employee get her job back after being wrongfully terminated for using leave for the birth of her child and to care for her autistic and blind children.

The VA had relied upon esoteric legalistic arguments to say that because the employee worked in the Canteen Service, she was not entitled to file a grievance on her termination.

Federal employee attorney Eric Pines and AFGE Local 1633 representative Michael King successfully argued that the employee was entitled to a hearing, as grievance rights are separate from rights to appeal to the MSPB.

The agency was ordered to reinstate the grievant with full back pay and lost benefits for over a year and a half of lost pay. Additionally, the arbitrator requested a petition for attorney’s fees.