In a letter to the head of the Office of Special Counsel, the unions express concern that labor relations professionals could face threats of reprisal as they fulfill their duties to bargain in good faith and resolve a wide range of grievances.
President Trump’s recent executive orders include provisions severely limiting what agencies can negotiate at the bargaining table and encouraging agencies to be far more confrontational with their employees.
“I am pleased to sign on to this letter,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon. “The potential impact of the executive orders is far-reaching and labor relations professionals should be free of pressure or coercion as they try to carry out their duties and work with unions to resolve problems in the workplace.”
“We believe the Administration, through its Executive Orders and other actions, is violating the law and asking individual agencies and components to also violate clearly established law,” the letter states. “This will require civil servants, who are labor relations professionals at various agencies, to carry out orders that violate federal statute.”
NTEU’s lawsuit to block the executive orders is pending in federal court, and a hearing is scheduled for July 25. The union is also urging members to contact the White House and their lawmakers to voice their opposition to the executive orders