U.S. Charges Presidents of Three Federal Unions for Backing Mondale Race

The presidents of three federal employee unions that endorsed the 1984 Democratic presidential ticket were charged Tuesday with violating a law barring them from partisan political activity after they ignored a warning to cut their ties to the government.

The formal filing of charges launched disciplinary proceedings against Kenneth T. Blaylock, president of the American Federation of Government Employees; Moe Biller, president of the American Postal Workers Union, and Vincent R. Sombrotto, president of the National Assn. of Letter Carriers.

The three unions represent nearly 1.3 million government employees. Blaylock, Biller and Sombrotto were federal employees before all three took unpaid leaves of absence more than 10 years ago to hold union positions.

Given Chance to Leave

K. William O’Connor, special counsel of the Merit Systems Protection Board, said he brought the charges only after giving the three an opportunity to sever their connections with the government--including relinquishment of the leave-of-absence status.

On Feb. 11, O’Connor had warned Blaylock, Biller and Sombrotto, whose unions endorsed Democrat Walter F. Mondale in last year’s presidential campaign, that they would be prosecuted on charges of violating the 46-year-old Hatch Act unless they ended their ties to the government.

O’Connor’s office said he had made the offer “in an effort to conserve resources” but that Blaylock, Biller and Sombrotto “declined the offer.”

Federation ‘Outraged’

AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland said in a statement that the labor federation “is outraged at the Reagan Administration’s political use of the Hatch Act.”

“A law intended to protect federal and postal workers from political exploitation by their supervisors has been turned upside down--with Reagan Administration officials attempting to protect themselves from voters who happen to be members of federal and postal unions,” Kirkland maintained.

“That’s ridiculous,” responded Alma Hepner, a spokeswoman for the Office of Special Counsel. She declined to elaborate.

Acted ‘on Their Own’

At the White House, spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said that “as far as I know, the merit systems board took this action on their own.”

“There was no consultation or even notification of the White House,” Fitzwater said, and “there has been no White House involvement since that announcement” of the Feb. 11 warning.

The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees, including those holding leaves of absence, from engaging in directly partisan political activities such as candidate endorsements and fund-raising activities, O’Connor’s office said.

Maximum Penalty

Penalties for violation of the act range from a minimum suspension from government service of 30 days to a maximum penalty of termination of government service.

Under the latter case, Blaylock, Biller and Sombrotto could be forced to relinquish their leave-of-absence status if the Merit Systems Protection Board finds against them after a hearing.

Although the three are off the payroll, O’Connor said, they “are still entitled to, and do, receive benefits of the Civil Service retirement program and they each have a right to reinstatement to their federal jobs.”

“In light of those facts, they remain subject to the restrictions on partisan political activity exerted by the Hatch Act,” he said.