Wenatchee Social Security Administration mistreats Disabled Veterans

Attention for those who are veterans in Grant, Okanogan, Chelan or Douglas counties, a government agency right here in little Wenatchee needs to be chastised for the hypocritical way it treats our Disabled Veterans. It is the Wenatchee Social Security Administration. Even those employed by the SSA face constant discrimination, harassment, violation of HIPAA laws and illegal disciplinary “ambushes” perpetrated by – ironically – minority supervisors.

Management created a hostile work environment and is rarely challenged because all the other employees feel their own careers may be threatened if they try to defend the Disabled Vet. So, most go along and grin and bear it.

The Wenatchee SSA has mismanaged the way they treat Disabled Veterans, as I have been told (with documentation), on at least three occasions with several different people. Here is another great irony fit for the hypocrites running the Federal Government: When a call for job applicants goes out to the public, Federal Agencies are supposed to hire qualified Veterans and Disabled Veterans before anyone else.

When they do so, they immediately start harassing the employee for things like calling in sick, or needing time off due to extended medical issues due to their disabilities, or – God forbid – the employee(s) sheepishly requests what is called “reasonable accommodation” in the workplace due to specific disabilities.

This is happening right here in the Wenatchee office. Management there cares about illegal immigrants more than Disabled Veterans as evidenced by the ruthless way Disabled Vets are attacked when employed at the agency and ignored when a client of the agency. It is even worse if the Vet is homeless or as an employee, “pushes back” against unreasonable management mandates.

SSA management will be happy to put you through Hades for documents that are hard to get, especially in this COVID-19 crisis.

My sources for this column are confidential and need to remain so.

All Veterans deserve respect and especially those that sacrificed their bodies, minds and families to allow us our freedoms and so I urge all Vets to put an end to hostile work environments promulgated by bureaucrats who have never served their country, resulting in mental and financial harm to the Veteran.

Since this is a Federal Agency, I would hope the local Veteran community can call, or send a letter to Rep. Kim Schrier or Rep. Dan Newhouse expressing outrage. Better yet, visit her office and speak to her representative, another irony – her office is in the same building” as the SSA office in Wenatchee. Congressman Dan Newhouse also serves part of our readership and his contact info is below.

Congressman Kim Schrier can be reached through her office here in town at the old Federal Building on the third floor: 301 Yakima Street, Suite 329, Wenatchee, WA 98801, or call (509)-850-5340.

Congressman Dan Newhouse: 402 E. Yakima Ave, Suite #1000, Yakima, WA 98901, (509) 452-3243.

Gary Bégin’s opinions do not reflect those of NCW Media ownership. To reply “on the record” email: Gary@ncwmedia.net