Management

Biden Administration to Lift Capacity Caps at Federal Worksites

Agencies may set their own limits on how many federal employees can return to the office beginning next month, and in the meantime, the federal government will maintain its maximum telework posture.

Management

Biden Administration to Grant TSA Employees Full Collective Bargaining Rights, Better Pay

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered Transportation Security Administrator David Pekoske to align employees’ rights with those enjoyed by the vast majority of federal workers, including access to the General Schedule pay system.

Management

Senate Democrats Call on Attorney General to Restore Immigration Judges Union

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee called on Merrick Garland to reverse efforts to decertify the National Association of Immigration Judges and to axe a policy restricting judges' ability to speak publicly on immigration issues.

Management

Arbitrator: Social Security Engaged in Multiple Instances of Bad Faith Bargaining, Must Renegotiate

In a separate decision, a federal judge found the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the Association of Administrative Law Judges’ suit challenging the constitutionality of appointments to the Federal Service Impasses Panel.

Management

OPM Updates Agencies, Unions on Labor-Management Forums

A Trump-era order shutting down union-management councils at federal agencies remains “under review,” officials said, but in the meantime, agencies may elect to start new ones if they wish.

Management

Labor Authority Launches Video Training Series

Officials hope a new series of animated videos will inform federal employees about labor-management issues in bite-sized portions.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: Telework and Federal Labor-Management Relations

Robert M. Tobias joins the show to discuss how the remote work experience could provide a path forward for negotiations.

Management

House Panel Advances Legislation to Expand VA Medical Employee Bargaining Rights

The VA Employee Fairness Act would grant medical professionals the right to bargain over scheduling and official time, and to file grievances over pay disputes.

Management

House Democrats Say Title 5 Protections Would Fix TSA’s Morale, Retention Woes

Advocates say now is the time to grant airport screeners with the same protections enjoyed by the rest of the federal workforce, including their bosses.

Management

Unions Continue to Fault SSA Over Stalled Contract Renegotiations

Labor leaders accuse Trump holdovers atop the agency of seeking to retain “advantages” over unions during future negotiations rather than fully comply with President Biden’s directive to eradicate the previous administration’s workforce policies.

Management

Biden Signs Executive Order to Promote Collective Bargaining

A new task force made up of federal agency heads is charged with identifying ways to encourage “worker empowerment,” including acting as a model employer that fosters unions at agencies.

Management

Union Criticizes Civil Service Carveouts in Science Bills

Two bills aimed at revitalizing the National Science Foundation include major exceptions to federal hiring rules that AFGE officials say are reminiscent of former President Trump’s controversial and aborted Schedule F initiative.

Management

The Pandemic Has Created an Opening to Improve Federal Labor-Management Relations

The broad success of telework offers an opportunity for unions and executives to come together to support a new work environment that benefits employees and management.

Management

Unions Drop Challenge to FLRA Rule Making it Easier for Feds to Stop Paying Dues

NTEU said it is exploring “other avenues” to reverse a controversial Trump-era decision to allow federal workers to cancel their union dues any time after one year, rather than at annual intervals.

Management

EPA Begins Rolling Back Trump-era Union Policies

The Environmental Protection Agency and the American Federation of Government Employees will revert in part to their previous 2007 contract, and the parties will begin negotiations on an entirely new contract later this year.

Management

Smithsonian Employee Union Raises Concerns About Safety During Reopenings

The Smithsonian doesn’t have a date yet for when its locations will open to the public, but officials said they’ll have procedures in place to protect staff as well as visitors.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: The Future of Federal Workforce Priorities and Protections

GovExec's Erich Wagner speaks to NTEU's Tony Reardon on the podcast about the federal employees and the future.

Management

OPM Appointments Mark a Radical Shift in Agency's Role

The hiring of high-level executives from organized labor marks a return to federal employee unions having a seat at the table in the formulation of federal personnel policy.

Management

VA Rolls Back Trump-era Workforce Policies

The Veterans Affairs Department is restoring its previous contract with AFGE, which allows access to official time and union office space in department facilities.