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‘Ex-LB staff will get job back upon return from Iraq’
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Posted on Dec 22 2005
The Legislative Bureau employee who lost his civilian job while serving in Iraq only has to ask the Legislature and he will be reinstated, according to a member of the incoming Senate leadership.
Sen. Pete P. Reyes, who will be vice president when the 15th Senate takes office in January, said he would do everything to get former Legislative Bureau employee Peter Towai back to his old post.
“I’m going to do my best to make sure he gets his job back. There will be a new leadership in the Senate and I’m sure we can work something out. All [Towai] needs to do [when he returns from Iraq] is to ask for his job back,” said Reyes.
U.S. Army Reserve member Peter O. Towai was working as an administrative assistant at the Legislative Bureau when he was called to active duty in August 2004. He is due to come home in early 2006.
Towai’s employment contract with the Legislative Bureau expired on Sept. 30, 2005.
Four days before that, acting bureau director George N. Camacho issued a notice that Towai’s contract would not be renewed.
“This is in part to staff reassignments, budgetary constraints and operational needs. Therefore, your position has been deemed redundant,” Camacho said in a Sept. 26, 2005 letter to Towai.
Reyes and the House minority bloc have come to the defense of Towai.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act protects the employment and reemployment rights of military servicemen. USERRA prohibits discrimination against past and present members of the uniformed services and establishes reemployment rights for service members who want to return to the jobs they held prior to service.
