Unions

NTEU becomes latest federal worker union to endorse Harris

Unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO previously swapped out their Biden endorsements for the vice president shortly after he announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential campaign in July.

Congressional committees tackle bills governing telework, marijuana and labor unions

While a Senate panel advanced bills improving telework data reporting by federal agencies and codifying the end of the restriction on federal employees’ past use of marijuana, its House counterpart advanced controversial bills aimed at busting federal employee unions and adding leading questions to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Employees at Latin American aid agency vote to unionize 

Workers at the Inter-American Foundation almost unanimously voted to join the American Federation of Government Employees last week amid claims of no in-house human resources and an undermanned staff. 

Trump’s second-term agenda: Breaking the bureaucracy

If elected this fall, Donald Trump's return to Washington would promise a more aggressive—and plausible—campaign to hobble unions, politicize the nonpartisan civil service and remake the federal government in the Republican’s image.

Trump vows to establish an 'efficiency commission' with Elon Musk at the helm

The former president said the Tesla CEO has “agreed” to head up a task force aimed at cutting federal programs.

EEOC withdraws Trump-era proposal cancelling official time for unions reps

The commission controversially approved the idea on a party-line vote just days before President Biden’s inauguration but was caught up in a review of late Trump-era "midnight regulations."

Conservative senator seeks to ban official time at federal agencies

Eliminating federal compensation for unions’ time spent representing employees would shred a decades-old compromise at the heart of federal labor issues.

Federal worker union shifts presidential endorsements to Harris

Labor groups at federal agencies touted Harris’ record both as a senator and vice president, particularly her co-chairwomanship of a White House task force on union issues.

OPM finalizes rule to ensure temporarily promoted feds are paid properly

A two-decades old Office of Personnel Management advisory opinion capping increased pay for federal workers temporarily performing duties of a higher-graded position at 120 days inadvertently penalized workers rather than their errant employer.

Unions applaud ‘most pro-union president in history’ following Biden’s decision to end campaign

Labor leaders said their goal remains to defeat Trump’s bid to return to the White House next year.

Administrative law judge union to push for expanded annual carryover leave

Officials with a union that represents administrative law judges at the Social Security Administration said their jobs are more akin to those of senior-level federal jobs than General Schedule positions.

The FLRA is nearly back at full strength following Senate confirmation vote

The Senate voted 55-37 to confirm Anne Wagner as the third member atop the Federal Labor Relations Authority, allowing the agency to consider controversial cases again for the first time in more than a year.

Forest Service will partially refund federal firefighters’ rent in government-owned housing

The decision to provide a 50% refund to wildland firefighters at the GS-10 level who reside in government-owned housing will affect roughly 5,500 employees.

Exclusive

Martin O’Malley is on a one-year sprint to save Social Security

Despite shaking up the culture one of Washington’s most risk-averse agencies, the former governor said his biggest task is convincing Congress to reinvest in the Social Security Administration’s administrative overhead.

EPA union ratifies contract to protect employees’ scientific integrity

The deal also locks in a maximum of four days per week of telework, though labor leaders said that the agency will likely want to renegotiate the benefit after two years.

Biden’s labor report card: Historian gives ‘Union Joe’ a higher grade than any president since FDR

COMMENTARY | President Joe Biden came into the White House intent on being "the most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history." Four years later, he has shown a lot of progress.

TSA and AFGE ink their first contract under expanded collective bargaining rules

After two decades of abridged or no collective bargaining rights, frontline Transportation Security Administration finally enjoy similar rights to their colleagues elsewhere in government.