{"id":576,"date":"2026-07-21T23:13:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T23:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576"},"modified":"2026-07-21T23:13:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T23:13:18","slug":"arbitrator-restores-telework-for-irs-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576","title":{"rendered":"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

An independent arbitrator last week became the latest to order a federal agency to to its workforce, concluding that the Internal Revenue Service unlawfully repudiated its union contract when it effectively ended the workplace flexibility last year.<\/p>\n

Read more CDC shifts HIV prevention funds away from groups tackling this work<\/a><\/p>\n

The National Treasury Employees Union first filed the grievance in March 2025, shortly after the IRS unilaterally cancelled telework and remote work agreements en masse, despite a collective bargaining agreement that required a \u201ccase-by-case\u201d review of employees\u2019 eligibility along with a detailed list of potential rationales for doing so. IRS rejected that grievance in May 2025, leading the union to request the help of an arbitrator.<\/p>\n

But in late March, the agency told arbitrator Christopher Shulman that he was \u201cno longer authorized to accept or adjudicate any grievances involving the IRS and NTEU,\u201d and that management was withdrawing from all pending grievance proceedings. This corresponded both with a push by the Office of Personnel Management that month to encourage agencies to formally terminate their union contracts in accordance with President Trump\u2019s 2025 executive orders banning unions at most federal agencies due to their purported national security work, as well as a push by some in the administration to prevent the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service from assigning arbitrators in the first place.<\/p>\n

Shulman and NTEU then conducted a hearing in May with the agency in absentia, citing an provision within the parties\u2019 collective bargaining agreement allowing proceedings to continue with only one party\u2019s consent.<\/p>\n

Shulman bemoaned the uncertainty surrounding much of the federal collective bargaining apparatus, as a variety of lawsuits challenging the validity of Trump\u2019s anti-union executive orders and their implementation continue to work their way through the courts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not hyperbole that most federal sector labor practitioners await a final judicial determination on this issue with bated breath,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIf the EO\u2019s exclusion of the agency from [the federal sector labor management statute\u2019s\u2019] ambit is ultimately upheld, then the agency\u2019s termination of the parties\u2019 collective bargaining agreements and subsequent withdrawal from the arbitration process will be deemed legal. If the IRS exclusion under executive order 14251 is not upheld, then the agency will likely have committed an unfair labor practice by terminating the collective bargaining agreement and withdrawing from this arbitration.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that is all moot, he said, because IRS terminated its telework and remote work agreements before the March 2025 executive order and the ultimate March 2026 contract termination.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is black letter law that expiration of a collective bargaining agreement does not terminate rights and obligations arising under the contract during its term,\u201d Shulman wrote. \u201cThe obligation to arbitrate survives expiration where (as here) \u2018the dispute arose during the life of the contract but arbitration proceedings had not begun before termination. The same would be true if arbitration processes began but were not completed, during the contract\u2019s term.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Secret Service is examining apparent Iranian video outlining Trump motorcade routes, assassination opportunities<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite IRS\u2019 lack of participation, Shulman approximated the agency\u2019s argument, based upon its announcement that it would withdraw as well as its initial decision denying the union\u2019s grievance. Like other agencies, IRS said it was compelled to implement its return-to-office mandate by Trump\u2019s Jan. 20 memo instructing federal workers to return to agency offices full-time and OPM\u2019s declaration that telework is a management right, making CBA provisions governing the workplace flexibility \u201cunenforceable.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Shulman described OPM\u2019s guidance to agencies as an \u201cunqualified overstatement\u201d of a Federal Labor Relations Authority caselaw.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs noted by the union, telework and remote work arrangements do not address what work duties employees are to perform, which employees will perform the work, how they are to do so, or when,\u201d he wrote. \u201cInstead, these arrangements simply discuss where <\/em>employees will perform assigned work. As such, FLRA and the courts have held these arrangements do not affect <\/em>an agency\u2019s rights to determine mission or to assign work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shulman ruled that the agency must restore bargaining unit employees\u2019 telework and remote work agreements, as well as rescind any adverse personnel actions stemming from the cancellation of the workplace flexibilities. IRS has 30 days appeal the decision to the FLRA.<\/p>\n

In a statement Monday, NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald argued that telework and remote work are programs that are beneficial to employees, management and ultimately the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only does telework save taxpayers money through reduced leasing costs, reduced energy expenses and increased productivity, it also boosts employee recruitment and retention, reduces traffic congestion and helps ease rising commuting costs,\u201d she said. \u201cNTEU is ready and determined to continue fighting to enforce our win on behalf of the employees we represent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Traffic stops become a flashpoint in ICE shootings<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Internal Revenue Service withdrew from participating in the National Treasury Employees Union\u2019s grievance against the agency for its 2025 return-to-office push in March, forcing independent arbitrator Christopher Shulman to conduct proceedings with management in absentia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workforce"],"yoast_head":"\nArbitrator restores telework for IRS workers - Market Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers - Market Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Internal Revenue Service withdrew from participating in the National Treasury Employees Union\u2019s grievance against the agency for its 2025 return-to-office push in March, forcing independent arbitrator Christopher Shulman to conduct proceedings with management in absentia.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Market Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-21T23:13:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19c060c848a41baec5bd9c5b313f46d9\"},\"headline\":\"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-21T23:13:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576\"},\"wordCount\":802,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Workforce\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576\",\"name\":\"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers - Market Relocation Report\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-21T23:13:18+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19c060c848a41baec5bd9c5b313f46d9\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?p=576#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Market Relocation Report\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19c060c848a41baec5bd9c5b313f46d9\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/marketrelocationreport.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers - Market Relocation Report","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers - Market Relocation Report","og_description":"The Internal Revenue Service withdrew from participating in the National Treasury Employees Union\u2019s grievance against the agency for its 2025 return-to-office push in March, forcing independent arbitrator Christopher Shulman to conduct proceedings with management in absentia.","og_url":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576","og_site_name":"Market Relocation Report","article_published_time":"2026-07-21T23:13:18+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19c060c848a41baec5bd9c5b313f46d9"},"headline":"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers","datePublished":"2026-07-21T23:13:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576"},"wordCount":802,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg","articleSection":["Workforce"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576","url":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576","name":"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers - Market Relocation Report","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-21T23:13:18+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19c060c848a41baec5bd9c5b313f46d9"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c50e4e2e362c7d242ae552ed975a4b8b.jpg","width":400,"height":400},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=576#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/","name":"Market Relocation Report","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19c060c848a41baec5bd9c5b313f46d9","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com"],"url":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}