Here at Navajo Labor Commission hearing where Commission is hearing Office of Navajo Labor Relations complaint filed by five former senior accountants against Controller Mark Grant for illegally laying them off in September 2013.

NAVAJO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATTORNEY HENRY HOWE
direct your attention to tribal personnel policies, December 2013, page 60 and 61, layoff section provides for a number of things. whenever layoffs are necessary, immediately notify human resources director and with list of layoff employees.

did make notification with list of names?

CONTROLLER MARK GRANT
we did meet with personnel director. we wanted to know wen to notify employees of layoffs but president threatening to veto budget which would mean that continuing resolution needed and if told employee thatn that would create “morale problem” so advice received was to wait. Personnel Director Bernadette Bernally said to wait to provide names of individuals to be laid off until after budget signed off by President shelly.

HOWE, next provision is no regular status employees laid off before seasonal and temporary employees?

GRANT: we made sure all seasonal and temporaries not working.
we didn’t include anything that wud be unfair to employees.

ATTORNEY DAVID JORDAN
I object. Howe is testifying for witness who only has to say yes.

LABOR COMMISSION AGREES.