More on Gingery v. Department of Defense

One thing I didn't mention in yesterday's story about the Federal Career Intern Program lawsuit is that the fight over FCIP isn't done in court. Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, reminded me that NTEU has their own separate suit pending in federal court. They also did a ton of support and prep for Gingery's case, including filing an amicus brief, participating in oral arguments, and holding mock courtroom sessions. In other words, they are very invested in getting rid of FCIP.

I think this could be one of the big fights in the new administration. There's no question that FCIP is convenient, and widely used, but it does raise important issues about the competitive service. Obviously, the Obama administration will pursue other workforce reforms, but I think there is momentum here.