Reservists have trouble getting old jobs back

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department on Thursday sought to defend its record of helping reservists who are denied their old civilian jobs when they come back from war.

Lawmakers said the system is broken; one senator called the procedures for veterans seeking help a confusing "Walter Reed-like nightmare."

Charles Ciccolella, the department's assistant secretary for veterans' employment and training, acknowledged that officials could do a better job protecting the legal rights of troops who take leave from work to fight for their country.

But Ciccolella said the solution was to improve education of employers — not to litigate more cases in court. Most disputes can be resolved with a phone call to an employer explaining what the law is, he said.

"In many cases, the employer does not understand the law," Ciccolella told a Senate panel. "It is not the egregious, 'We are not going to hire you or fire you."'

A Pentagon survey of reservists in 2005-06, released Thursday by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, details increasing discontent among returning troops under strain from extended tours in Iraq.

It found that 44 percent said they were dissatisfied with how the Labor Department handled their complaint of employment discrimination based on their military status, up from 27 percent in 2004.

Nearly one-third, or 29 percent, said they had difficulty getting the information they needed from government agencies charged with protecting their rights, while 77 percent of those with a complaint said they didn't even bother trying to get assistance, in part because they didn't think it would make a difference.

The findings come amid intense political and public scrutiny of veterans' care following reports earlier this year of substandard outpatient treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the premier hospital for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who chairs the Senate panel, called the findings "appalling." He said he plans legislation to hold agencies accountable by requiring them to collect and release employment data, noting that the Pentagon did not release the survey until he specifically asked for it.

The Labor Department currently releases an annual report on employment complaints to Congress, but the figures do not include Pentagon data. The report, due to Congress on Feb. 1, has yet to be released this year.