Evening star., 1948-02-22
Employees al VA Warn
Layoffs Will Delay
Dependent Claims

A group Of Veterans Administra-
tion employees, who have received
dismissal notices, warned last night
that their dismissal will delay ac-
ton on the thousands of claims filed
by the dependents of dead veterans.
At the same time, the dismissed
employees called attention to an
"ironical situation" They charged
that on January q, the Civil Serv-
ice Commission announced an ex-
animation for $500 adjudicators to
fill VA positions. Three weeks later,
they said, they were handed their
dismissal notices from the same
type of jobs.
The protest, signed by commit
tee OF six, came in a letter to The
Star. The committee said it rep
resented "a persons in the Depend
ents and Beneficiaries Claims Serv-
ice in VAS central Office here.
Dismissal Of this group, according
to the protest letter, represents a
personnel cut of approximately 20
per cent in the staff which handles
claims for death pensions, compen-
sation and insurance benefits.
Warn of Unsettled Cases.
The director Of the service and
the chief of the adjudicating divi-
sion, the group said, fully agree
that such drastic action at this
time will Immediately create an
accumulation of unsettled cases
and result in large backlog, and
delay the handling of numerous
claims.
There is no question that this
situation will ultimately result in
many complaints from service Or
ganizations, members of Congress
and the multitude of interested
people throughout the country" the
letter added.
The Veterans Administration re-
Gently announced that it was cut
ting 1,4o0 employees off the Wash
ington payroll in a total reduction
in-force of $500 workers.
Informed of the letter, a VA
spokesman said unquestionably there
will be some decrease in service to
veterans and their dependents. He
said the cuts were made in such a
way as to give the best service pos
sible within the framework of the
budget"
Claim VA Will New Employees.
On that point the employees facing
the loss of their jobs March 81 did
not agree. The group contended
that many VA services "can be sub
stantially reduced without impair
ment of the essential functions OF
this agency"
These employees warned that if the
planned personnel cut in the claims
service is carried out, VA ultimately
will be forced to hire new employees
who will require extensive training
and cause further delay In the set
tlement of claims. They contended
that the present work load is Sc
heavy that every adjudicator now
on the job is needed.
All the employees in this group
like go per cent of VA personnel
are without permanent Civil Serv-
ice status. In their protest letter
they said the examination recently
announced by the Civil Service
Commission is the one they have
been waiting to take for more than
two years. ~~:..
I'VE are of the opinion" they
said, that grave injustice is being
perpetrated upon the hundreds of
adjudicators throughout the Vet
erans Administration who are now
being given the opportunity to quail
ify for permanent status when it ap-
pears the results of such examina-
ton will be announced after their
separation from service"
- Ask Postponment.
One of the signers of the state
ment explained that If the Civil
Service Commission proceeded at its
usual pace, those who are dismissed
will have to look elsewhere for work
not being able to afford to wait
months for job.
The group asked that their fir
ing be postponed until Civil Service
establishes the permanent register
or that Civil Service speed up its
processes and establish the register
before March 81.
Signers of the statement were
Joseph Auerbach, Suzanne Early,
Eleanor Guthridge, nellie Hyd e
Holmes, Malcolm Littlefield and
Philip Thomas.