(April 21, 2011)

In order to further improve the lines of communication and to respond to the concerns between the National VA Council and you our members, I have established a National VA Council Briefing. This NVAC Briefing will bring you the latest news and developments within DVA and provide you with the current status of issues this Council is currently addressing. I believe that this NVAC Briefing will greatly enhance the way in which we communicate and the way in which we share new information, keeping you better informed.

Alma L. Lee

National VA Council, President

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In This Briefing: Quimby et al. v United States Update

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An update message on April 18, 2011 from Ira M. Lechner, Court Appointed Class Counsel who represents all claimants in the United States Court of Federal Claims in the case of Quimby et al. v. United States: I have been working for many months with VA to move this case to its final conclusion and I believe we are getting closer to the finish line. VA has been working to compute the back pay and interest due to each eligible employee and former employee who filed a claim in this case. It is a very complicated and difficult problem for VA's computers to calculate the back pay accurately because the claims are different for each employee; the claims go back to September, 1995; and there are over 60,000 claimants.

I believe we will know more near the end of May and I will report the findings to you then. Thank you for your patience and for your understanding. You have been great. Please do not call me or email me as you can imagine how difficult that would be to handle with tens of thousands of calls and emails.
Ira M. Lechner