Extended tours worsen reservist job woes

[unhappycamper]

Extended tours worsen reservist job woes
By Hope Yen - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Nov 8, 2007 20:18:46 EST

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department on Thursday sought to defend its record of helping reservists who are denied their old civilian jobs when they come back from war.

Lawmakers said the system is broken; one senator called the procedures for veterans seeking help a confusing “Walter Reed-like nightmare.”

Charles Ciccolella, the department’s assistant secretary for veterans’ employment and training, acknowledged that officials could do a better job protecting the legal rights of troops who take leave from work to fight for their country.

But Ciccolella said the solution was to improve education of employers — not to litigate more cases in court. Most disputes can be resolved with a phone call to an employer explaining what the law is, he said.

“In many cases, the employer does not understand the law,” Ciccolella told a Senate panel. “It is not the egregious, ‘We are not going to hire you or fire you.”’

A Pentagon survey of reservists in 2005-2006, released Thursday by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, details increasing discontent among returning troops under strain from extended tours in Iraq.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_vetswork_070811/

[democrank]

1. No matter how bad it gets

Congress keeps funding and funding and funding.