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U.S. Senators Urge Congress to Pass Legislation Preventing Trump Assault on Federal Labor Unions
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) ^ | 11/21/2019 | The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)

Posted on 11/22/2019 7:48:17 PM PST by mdittmar

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Senators join House members in call to protect federal employees’ union rights

WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees is echoing a call from 43 U.S. Senators for Congress to take immediate action to prevent the White House from undermining the collective bargaining rights of federal employees.

In a letter sent today to Senate leadership and appropriators, the senators say that the FY 2020 funding bill being finalized for next year must include House-passed language that would prevent President Trump’s political appointees from unilaterally stripping federal employees of their collective bargaining rights and protections against whistleblower retaliation and other mismanagement.

“Robust labor unions are a hallmark of competitive workplaces – they lead the fight for better benefits, protections, and working conditions,” the senators wrote. “The Trump Administration’s anti-union agenda undermines the government’s ability to attract talented workers and demoralizes workers currently in public service.”

The letter was signed by 43 Senators, led by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ranking Member Gary Peters of Michigan. Also signing the letter were all U.S. Senators currently running for president: Sens. Michael Bennet, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.

The Senate letter follows a similar letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House appropriations leaders in September from 217 House lawmakers, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland. Both the Senate and House letters urge lawmakers to adopt language included in the House-passed Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill (HR 3351) in the final FY 2020 funding measure. This language would prevent federal agencies from unilaterally imposing anti-worker management edicts in the place of negotiated collective bargaining agreements. The language would also require agencies to abide by current law and bargain in good faith with federal employee unions.

President Trump issued three executive orders last year designed to bust federal labor unions and eliminate workplace protections for federal employees. Agency leaders appointed by the administration are using the executive orders as the basis to repudiate existing contracts and impose anti-worker provisions that have not been negotiated with the union. These illegal changes have allowed agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and Education Department to evict union representatives from office space, deny employees access to fair representation at the worksite, unilaterally exclude employees from telework, discard agreements used to enforce employment laws and policies at the worksite, and remove employees who have voluntarily joined AFGE from union membership without their consent.

“Now that a federal court has lifted the injunction on the executive orders, it’s open season on federal employee unions and our collective bargaining rights,” AFGE National Secretary-Treasurer Everett Kelley said. “If Congress fails to act, there could be nothing preventing the administration from decimating our contracts and stripping all federal employees of basic rights and protections at the worksite. On behalf of the 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers AFGE proudly represents, I urge Senate and House leaders to protect our democracy by including this language in any appropriations bill that becomes law.”


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: veto
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"Also signing the letter were all U.S. Senators currently running for president: Sens. Michael Bennet, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren."

“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.” Alexis de Tocquevill 1835

1 posted on 11/22/2019 7:48:17 PM PST by mdittmar
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To: mdittmar

There should be NO collective bargaining privileges for federal or any other government employee unions. There should be no such unions.


2 posted on 11/22/2019 7:49:47 PM PST by arthurus (,/'o'\, =,.)
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To: mdittmar

Even that Commie Franklin Delano Roosevelt was opposed to public sector unions.


3 posted on 11/22/2019 7:50:19 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: arthurus

Thank John Fitzgerald Kennedy, DOD 11/23/1963.
He created Government Unions.


4 posted on 11/22/2019 7:53:27 PM PST by acapesket (all happy now?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Let's ask these guys what happens when you go up against a good Executive...


5 posted on 11/22/2019 7:56:58 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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To: DoodleBob

I hope they all go on strike.


6 posted on 11/22/2019 8:00:25 PM PST by mdittmar
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To: mdittmar

Veto it.


7 posted on 11/22/2019 8:00:54 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: DoodleBob
I would never have guessed that 43 demoncats signed onto this left-wing legislation.
8 posted on 11/22/2019 8:01:17 PM PST by simi_ed (Change the NRA)
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To: DoodleBob

I remember that. They were shocked I tell ya.


9 posted on 11/22/2019 8:02:06 PM PST by Lurkina.n.Learnin (If you want a definition of "bullying" just watch the Democrats in the Senate)
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To: mdittmar

Abolish the damn Federal Government Unions. The worst thing President Kennedy ever capitulated to.


10 posted on 11/22/2019 8:02:22 PM PST by Robert DeLong
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To: mdittmar


11 posted on 11/22/2019 8:03:18 PM PST by Chode (Send bachelors and come heavily armed.)
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To: mdittmar
I hope they all go on strike.


12 posted on 11/22/2019 8:03:28 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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Public unions should be outlawed. The taxpayer is not represented.


13 posted on 11/22/2019 8:09:04 PM PST by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The only time I see the need, or potential need for public sector unions, is for police/fire/EMS. Your Office drone shuffling paperwork or mopping floors has no needs to be protected by A union as a government employee, the job is not dangerous it is generally following written policies. Either follow them and keep your job or don’t fall them and get fired it’s that simple.

We have seen plenty of cases where Liberal council members, mayors, etc. Will gladly throw their local police officers or other first responders under the bus when is politically expedient for them to pander to a demographic or cut money out of their budget to give to freeloaders.


14 posted on 11/22/2019 8:10:57 PM PST by matt04
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To: DoodleBob
Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice (1966);)
15 posted on 11/22/2019 8:14:17 PM PST by mdittmar
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To: acapesket

Thank John Fitzgerald Kennedy, DOD 11/23/1963.
He created Government Unions.

He created it the day after he died?


16 posted on 11/22/2019 8:14:24 PM PST by Bommer (2020 - Vote all incumbent congressmen and senators out! VOTE THE BUMS OUT!!!)
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To: matt04

Public sector union pensions are an unsustainable pyramid scheme, especially the ones you are so fond of.

https://www.ocregister.com/2019/07/13/current-public-sector-practices-are-unsustainable/

https://nypost.com/2017/11/12/the-constitution-cant-protect-underfunded-public-pensions/

https://www.creators.com/read/daily-editorials/04/18/public-pensions-are-on-an-unsustainable-course

https://whyy.org/articles/op-ed-new-jerseys-public-sector-unions-created-pension-crisis/

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/03/30/Outrageous-Public-Pensions-Could-Bankrupt-These-States

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=public+sector+union+pensions+unsustainable&t=brave&ia=web


17 posted on 11/22/2019 8:15:54 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats only believe in democracy when they win the election.)
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To: mdittmar
Please recite FDRs pointed reasoning for NOT having Federal Labor Unions.

Self Dealing, sitting on both sides of any negotiation, unaccountable employees.

18 posted on 11/22/2019 8:21:30 PM PST by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: mdittmar

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we were sober/then we wouldn’t hallucinate so long...”


19 posted on 11/22/2019 8:26:11 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: G Larry

Post 18
Spot on


20 posted on 11/22/2019 8:36:26 PM PST by ptsal
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