By Contractors working for USFK were denied their request to be compensated for back pay due to the USFK curfew policy.
An Army colonel has rejected a request from nine Army Corps of Engineers civilians for five months of “standby pay†for complying with a mandatory overnight curfew.
The letter from Army Corps of Engineers Far East District commander Col. Janice Dombi dated March 11 and delivered to a union steward on March 15 states the curfew didn’t require Defense Department workers in South Korea to maintain a state of readiness, a requirement to receive standby pay, according to Dombi.
In her response, Dombi refers to orders from U.S. Forces Korea commanders issued last year defining the curfew, which in September began to include not just servicemembers but civilian workers, contractors and their families. That mandatory compliance for civilians and private workers was lifted March 1; the curfew remains in effect for servicemembers.
The contractors may have lost the battle of receiving back pay but they did win the war against USFK because the curfew has now been lifted on them. The curfew for all the soldiers is now 0100 on weekends extended by one hour from the prior midnight curfew. The army maintains the curfew is necessary for force protection reasons due to credible terrorist threats. I don’t know why the army doesn’t just come out and admit the curfew is in place to curtail prostitution which the army has been able to reduce dramatically. I guess protecting soldiers from “juicy girl” can be considered a form of force protection depending on one’s perspective.
7:05 am on January 6th, 2007 1
GI,
We are not contractors. Most of us are high grade engineers and technicians (GS12-13) that work as civil service employees for US Army Corps of Engineers. The fignt is not over since we will be filing our suit in federal court in Washington DC later this month.
7:06 am on January 6th, 2007 2
I can't wait to hear how it turns out. Hopefully it gets published in the paper so I can follow it. I think you guys have a pretty good case. Have you guys been receiving any flack at work from the Army for speaking out against the curfew?
7:06 am on January 6th, 2007 3
I'm fascinated Larry, what exactly was it that you high-grade GS12/13 engineer/technicians were prevented by the curfew from doing (between midnite and 5 AM, from October through March 15) that entitles you to further compensation from US taxpayers?
7:07 am on January 6th, 2007 4
The issue is not that the civilian workers did or did not do anything while in thier place of residence. The issue is that they were required by their employer to be in a specific place at a specific time, which constitutes work.
Trying searching the internet using the terms "common law" and "employment" or "employee"for background information.
The directive in effect made the residence a place of work in that the employees were told to be there just the same as being told to be in their office 8-5 pm, Monday through Friday.
Soldiers don't have hours, but workers do.
I write this from two views. I have served in the Army. I also currently work in the Northwest USA as an independent contractor. I ensure I am in correct in the hours I bill my customers, but I also ensure that I charge extra for hours worked beyond the normal 40 hour work week. The civilian workers in Korea are asking for no more than any worker would ask for in the US.
7:07 am on January 6th, 2007 5
Hey Paul, you missed the point. It's not about the money. We take issue with being placed under martial law; so to speak, and being lied to about it. And guess what, when we pushed back, they backed off.
7:07 am on January 6th, 2007 6
I concur with Larry that it is not about the money. Some of the civilians that I work with that I have spoke to about this issue all could care less about the money. They just don't want to be treated like children like the rest of us soldiers are treated as here. Plus the curfew continues to be enforced for force protection reasons when in reality everyone knows the curfew is about the clamp down on prostitution. They are glad that some buddy is pushing back against USFK. Due to this the curfew has been dropped against them. Personally I have no dog in this fight, I am just interested in seeing how this whole thing turns out.