A Question of Loyalty, Pasadena Weekly “Over the past eight months, Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Cate Heneghan said she has been dealing with what she considers to be an abuse of authority by NASA, which has been trying to force her to sign what amounts to a loyalty oath — asking intrusive questions about her allegiance to the United States. Heneghan, who was born and raised in Bethesda, Md., studied […]

Keith’s note: This NLRB mandated notice was sent to all employees at Caltech/JPL and just appeared as a huge banner on JPL’s internal web page. It states: “The National Labor Relations Board has found that we violated Federal labor law and has ordered us to post and obey this notce.” The hierarchy at JPL for disciplinary actions is: 1. Oral warning 2. Written warning 3. Final written warning 4. Involuntary […]

NASA Notice of information collection Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) “Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NASA, including whether the information collected has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of NASA’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of […]

CWA President Larry Cohen, NASA Scientist and Activist to Discuss How the NLRB Crisis Hurts Californians, hspd12jpl.org “The all-out assault on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is threatening vital on-the-job protections for millions of California workers. The NLRB is the sole agency responsible for enforcing federal labor law and protecting the rights of 80 million private sector employees nationwide. It’s been under attack by both conservative courts and House Republicans […]

Caltech Faulted for Unfair Labor Practices at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory “National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge William G. Kocol has found the California Institute of Technology engaged in unfair labor practices at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Caltech administers JPL under contract with NASA. In 2011, Caltech issued letters of highest level disciplinary reprimand to five JPL employees because they used […]

Media Advisory JPL Employees Call for Congressional Investigation into NASA Privacy Breech “Employees at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena have called for an immediate Congressional investigation into NASA’s behavior in handling their personal data following the October 31 theft of a NASA laptop computer left unattended in a parked car in Washington DC. NASA waited two weeks before informing its employees that their personal […]

Court says NASA background checks can continue, Federal News Radio “The Supreme Court says background checks of low-risk employees at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California can continue. The high court on Wednesday overturned a lower court decision that had stopped the space agency’s investigations of the contract workers. The workers claimed NASA was invading their privacy by requiring the investigations, which included probes into medical records and questioning of […]

NASA contractors dispute statements about access, Washington Post “During oral arguments, Katyal told justices that the questions are justified on national security grounds because ID badges worn by contractors give them access to JPL and all other NASA facilities. “It’s such an important credential that it would allow them to get within, for example, six to 10 feet of the space shuttle as it’s being repaired and readied for launch,” […]

Scientists Demand Retraction From Gov’t Attorney In NASA Privacy Case, space.com “A group of scientists has demanded that the U.S. Attorney General’s office immediately retract remarks made by a government attorney during arguments before the Supreme Court over privacy concerns with NASA background checks. The scientists said they want the attorney general to retract a statement made by acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal during his opening statement, which at one […]

Court considers NASA employee background checks, Reuters “Supreme Court justices questioned on Tuesday whether the federal government in its background investigations of employees can ask about their drug treatment, medical conditions or sexual practices. The high court during arguments in a case about NASA background checks of scientists in California considered what questions could be asked without violating their constitutional privacy rights. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel Alito asked the […]