It's Your Right

Federal employees have the right to:

• Form, join or assist any labor union, or refrain from such activity, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal.
• Act as a representative of a labor union and, in that capacity, present the union's views to agency heads, Congress and other authorities.
• Through an elected representative, engage in collective bargaining on conditions of employment-personnel policies, practices and issues, whether established by rule, regulation or otherwise, that affect working conditions.

Federal managers have the right to:

• Determine an agency's mission, budget, organization, number of employees and internal security practices.
• Hire, assign, direct, lay off and retain employees, or suspend, remove, reduce in grade or pay, or take other disciplinary actions against employees.
• Assign work, make determinations on contracting out and determine personnel needed to operate agency.
• Take any necessary actions to carry out agency mission during emergencies.

Management rights-known as (b)(1) subjects-that management may elect to negotiate with unions:

• Numbers, types and grades of employees or positions assigned to any organizational subdivision, work project or tour of duty.

• Technology, methods and means of performing work.

Source: Title 5 of the U.S. Code