{"id":16395,"date":"2015-12-23T10:05:49","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T14:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=16395"},"modified":"2015-12-23T10:05:49","modified_gmt":"2015-12-23T14:05:49","slug":"bbg-watch-bbg-hit-with-400m-employee-contractors-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/bbg-watch-bbg-hit-with-400m-employee-contractors-suit\/","title":{"rendered":"BBG Watch: BBG hit with $400M employee contractors suit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BBG-Logo\"(Source: BBG Watch<\/a> via Dan Robinson<\/a>)<\/p>\n

A $400 million class action lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims against the Broadcasting Board of Governors over personnel and contracting practices overseen by top agency officials in recent years. The plaintiffs, several Voice of America (VOA) workers, allege that the U.S. government-funded, international news broadcaster\u2019s Board of Governors denied proper pay and benefits to VOA employees intentionally misclassified as independent contractors by agency officials, Law360<\/em> website reported.<\/p>\n

As reported by Law360<\/em><\/a>, plaintiffs in the latest class action lawsuit allege that the Broadcasting Board of Governors has implemented a system of using \u201cPurchase Order Vendors\u201d (POVs) \u201cfor services indistinguishable from those of direct employees, to avoid a 30 percent budget increase from providing the lawful wages, paid leave, workers compensation, and tax contributions the workers are owed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BBG put the plaintiffs and class members on purchase orders so it could extract their faithful service to the United States while avoiding payment of the more substantial compensation that is owed to federal employees,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> the complaint states.[…]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Continue reading on the BBG Watch website…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: BBG Watch via Dan Robinson) A $400 million class action lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims against the Broadcasting Board of Governors over personnel and contracting practices overseen by top agency officials in recent years. The plaintiffs, several Voice of America (VOA) workers, allege that the U.S. government-funded, international […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,960,3,43],"tags":[406,1090,936,2635],"class_list":["post-16395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-bbg","tag-bbg-watch","tag-broadcasting-board-of-governors","tag-dan-robinson"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-4gr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23021,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/broadcasting-board-of-governors-reduced-to-advisory-status\/","url_meta":{"origin":16395,"position":0},"title":"Broadcasting Board of Governors reduced to advisory status","author":"Thomas","date":"December 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBG Watch via Dan Robinson) President Barack Obama has signed into law S. 2943, the \u201cNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017,\u201d which includes a provision to reduce the Broadcasting Board of Governors\u2019 (BBG) governing board to an advisory status while making the BBG CEO position subject to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3377,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/bbg-watch-ashe-seeks-comments-on-u-s-international-broadcasting\/","url_meta":{"origin":16395,"position":1},"title":"BBG Watch: Ashe seeks comments on U.S. international broadcasting","author":"Thomas","date":"April 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a great opportunity to communicate directly with a BBG member who wants your input regarding upcoming changes to US international broadcasting: (Source: BBG Watch) Often referred to as a senior Republican member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Ambassador Victor Ashe has invited the public, including BBG\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/BBG-Logo-300x207.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12535,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/leaving-so-soon-the-bbg-may-lose-their-new-ceo-andy-lack\/","url_meta":{"origin":16395,"position":2},"title":"Leaving so soon? The BBG may lose their new CEO, Andy Lack","author":"Thomas","date":"March 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0Dan Robinson, who shared links to several\u00a0news stories that propose Andrew Lack may be leaving the CEO position of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to return to NBC. Here's a clip from the Washington Post: Former NBC news president and former Bloomberg Media chairman Andy Lack, who was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jeff Shell, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, congratulates Andy Lack after swearing him in as the first ever CEO of U.S. international media. (Image Source: BBG Press Release)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/AndrewLack-SwearingIn-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19212,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/proposed-amendment-to-national-defense-authorization-act-calls-for-privatization-of-voa\/","url_meta":{"origin":16395,"position":3},"title":"Proposed amendment to National Defense Authorization Act calls for privatization of VOA","author":"Thomas","date":"May 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBG Watch via Andrea Borgnino) BBG Watch has learned that a proposed privatization of the U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA) is widely opposed by Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) federal employees, their union, the independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB \u2013 cusib.org), and numerous foreign policy and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"View of the Capitol Building from the roof of the Voice of America on 330 Independence Ave., S.W.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22545,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/breaking-news-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors-bbg\/","url_meta":{"origin":16395,"position":4},"title":"Breaking News: Beginning of the end of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)","author":"Thomas","date":"December 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor\u00a0Dan Robinson--former White House, Congressional and foreign correspondent for the Voice of America--who alerts us to a major development at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). Note that the BBG supervises the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, Radio y Television Marti, Radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Photo BBG)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6991,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/victor-ashe-joins-cusib-after-leaving-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors\/","url_meta":{"origin":16395,"position":5},"title":"Victor Ashe joins CUSIB after leaving the Broadcasting Board of Governors","author":"Thomas","date":"August 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Without a doubt, Victor Ashe has championed US international broadcasting on the Broadcasting Board of Governors and has voiced his support for continued funding of the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station. He will now join The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting Advisory Board: (Source: CUSIB Press Release) The Committee for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Victor Ashe","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/BBG-member-Victor-Ashe.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16395\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}