EPA, union reach contract deal, agreeing to flexible work schedules

EPA and one of its major unions have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, with the union hailing the five-year contract as providing flexibility in work schedules and telework, while EPA says the contract will lower costs and promote government performance and accountability. The Master Collective Bargaining Agreement (MCBA), reached Aug. 6 between EPA and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), ends months of negotiations, including a tentative agreement in May that covered 13 articles, but left two issues...