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Can anyone cite a law that prohibits offshoring of - VA contract work?

Posted: Jan 17, 2014

I'm fairly certain there is an MTSO that was/is doing this. I have been told that VA contracts prohibit offshoring, but I have never seen a contract to verify the terms, and I have been unable to reference any federal law that specifically addresses it. I would appreciate any information from anyone in the know.

VA contract - exp aug 13

[ In Reply To ..]
Here's their template for transcription agreements.

You'll note it says all transcription must be done in the US (4c)

This expired 8/13 Not sure if they changed that clause.

forgot to give you the link - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1731

not what you asked for but interesting - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/print-edition/2011/05/27/vet-leaders-elephant-hunting-focus.html?page=all

I had seen this article before and it was - interesting

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks so much for sharing it again.

Thanks very much for the information - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

How to report this - OIG

[ In Reply To ..]
http://www.va.gov/oig/

The VA does not allow offshoring, subcontracting, contracting with a company owned offshore, or unfair labor practices, i.e., paying employees less than the going rate for similar work. (Note that I said going rate, not minimum wage.)

If you wish to report this, simply contact the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General. You can report anonymously, but they will not reveal your identity if you don't.

Be sure to provide enough details that they can understand the problem.

Their website explains what they investigate and publishes results of investigations, so you can see what others have reported and what they handle.

Thank you for that info - One more question

[ In Reply To ..]
I know of an MTSO that had several federal contracts, but I think those contracts have ended. It is almost certain that they were offshoring, as I believe they are currently offshoring state contract work in a state that actually has a no-offshoring law.

Would the OIG pursue this matter if the contracts have already ended? I'm hoping an investigation by the OIG, with possible findings of contract violation, will be helpful in building a case against them in terms of this MTSO's state contract work.

Thanks in advance.

Answer - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Above, you asked about VA contracts, not state. The link given was to the Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, i.e., VA OIG. They deal with the VA only, not the army or navy, and not your state.

Will they investigate contracts that have ended? Maybe, it would depend on when they ended. Would this be helpful in making a case against the company for violations of a state contract? Not really, because the circumstances are completely different.

If your issue is with a state contract, you have to go to the state to report it. Do some research and find out who takes complaints like that.

Been there - Done that

[ In Reply To ..]
I have complained to the state. They conducted two bogus (in my opinion) investigations. They claimed there was no offshoring, but they refused to factor in other verifiable information about the MTSO because, according to them, it was outside the scope of their authority to do so. This information is accessible to anyone (even this lowly little MT) and directly contradicts their findings. I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm pretty sure if you want to get to the bottom of something, you look at all the facts, not just the ones that will support your predetermined conclusion.

The reason I asked about the VA contracts is because, if the OIG finds that this MTSO offshored the work on the VA contracts, that would provide conclusive evidence that the MTSO has violated its contracts with the federal government. This would demonstrate that the company has a history of noncompliance with those particular terms in its contracts. Even if the state still refuses to take this into consideration and reopen the complaint about the MTSO offshoring the work on its state contract, that federal data would be interesting to the readers of the state's newspapers.

Old contracts - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If the contracts ended without being renewed, might be that the terms of the contract were being violated and the VA knew it.

What company is this?

ClairSol - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

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