OPM Implements One of the Few Uncontested Pieces of Trump's Workforce Orders: A Database of Union Contracts

The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday launched an online database of current collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and employee unions, a measure that officials said will “improve transparency” with the public.

The database was first mandated by one of three controversial May 2018 executive orders aimed at making it easier to fire federal workers and reducing the influence of labor groups in the federal government. It was one of the few provisions of the workforce orders not challenged by unions in federal court.

As of Thursday, the database contained 774 union contracts. OPM said it cannot guarantee the database has every single current collective bargaining agreement, as the officials rely on agencies to self-report agreements to which they are a party. 

“This database is about transparency in government,” said OPM Director Dale Cabaniss, in a statement. “OPM is committed to implementing President Trump’s workforce reforms so the American people can have a more effective and efficient government.”

Users can sort and search for union contracts in a variety of ways, from expiration date to the name of the agency or union, and the database features a way to search for agreements that contain a particular word or phrase.

In an accompanying memo to agency heads, Cabaniss outlined agency officials' responsibilities now that the database is live. Agencies must forward all new collective bargaining agreements to OPM within 30 days of their effective date through a new portal on the OPM website.

In addition to the public-facing union contract database, the executive order requires OPM to collect and maintain a database of arbitration awards. OPM will use the same submission portal to receive those documents. Agencies must submit any new arbitration awards within 10 business days of the decision’s issuance.