FACTS ABOUT THE MAY 5^th DEMONSTRATION

• The May 5th demonstration of free speech was spearheaded by COFE, the Coalition Of Federal Employees, whose members include representatives from many organizations, seeking to eradicate discrimination, retaliation, and other unfair treatment and practices that harm employee rights and waste taxpayers' money.



• The free speech demonstration was not called by NTEU nor WE-FEW, and neither Ellis Maupin, NTEU president, nor Cynthia Brawner-Gaines, WE-FEW president, had authority to call it off.



• Secretary Richardson had various political appointees try to stop the free speech demonstration, and then asked the organizers to meet with Deputy Secretary Glauthier the day before, on May 4^th. The organizers' position was that the free speech demonstration was not directed against the Secretary but was in support of his diversity agenda and was necessary to publicize the delays by Departmental management in implementing his direct orders.



• The organizers met with the Deputy Secretary and got no concrete commitments to anything substantive. There were great words, but no more than has been heard before from other Administrations. Moreover, commitments from Secretary Richardson in previous meetings were not met.



• During the meeting, what sounded like a threat was issued by the Senior Advisor the the Secretary for Employee Relations, John Robinson, to the effect that "It will be much less likely to get Secretary Richardson to issue a statement to his Senior Staff in support of diversity issues if the Demonstration is not called off." When challenged, John Robinson backed off, but the message was clear.



• When the organizers met after to discuss the meeting, all agreed that no concrete commitments were made. A vote was taken and the majority agreed to continue with the Demonstration.



• Up to that vote, Ellis Maupin had been vocally fully supportive of the free speech demonstration. He then balked at the last minute, claiming that he had gotten several pages from NTEU National President Tobias and saying he was sure he would be ordered to pull NTEU out. It was stated that he and other union members could still participate without being under the union banner.



• He was asked explicitly whether he was pulling out at that time, and said no. Furthermore, he said a press release could be issued quoting him about the issues for the demonstration.



• Ellis Maupin had repeatedly promised to produce and deliver NTEU signs for the demonstration, beginning weeks in advance, and claimed that $3,000 to $6,000 was being spent on signs. No signs were ever delivered, and participants provided their own signs for the free speech demonstration.



• Ellis Maupin talked to the keynote speaker for the free speech demonstration, Rock Newman, and falsely told him that it had been called off. Rock Newman checked with the organizers then came and spoke the next day at the demonstration.



• Ellis Maupin and Cynthia Brawner-Gaines, apparently coordinating with the Office of the Deputy Secretary, issued a call on the morning of May 5th for a DOE Town Meeting and falsely claimed the Demonstration had been canceled, thus confusing and discouraging more than 100 union members and others who had planned on exercising their Constitutional rights to free speech at the demonstration.



• In the Town Meeting, Ellis Maupin was asked what his pay off was for calling off the Demonstration. He never answered the question.



• The day after the Town Meeting, Ellis Maupin's name suddenly appeared on the list of people to accompany the Secretary on his trip to Ghana. Supposedly, his duties will be to "work with the politicals."