Federal unions this week defended employees' right to represent their bargaining units while they are on government time. But critics charge that employees waste taxpayer money when they are paid by Uncle Sam to do union work.
As part of a civil service reform package including dozens of changes to the federal pay and benefits system, the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on the Civil Service is considering a measure that would prohibit employees from conducting union business on official time. The proposal would bar employees from all union work except representing fellow bargaining unit members during grievance proceedings and representing employees during labor-management meetings.
The measure would prevent employees from testifying before Congress on behalf of unions, conducting political activity or working on unions' internal business while on official time.
"This is nothing more than an attempt to bust federal employees' unions," American Federation of Government Employees President Bobby Harnage charged at a hearing Wednesday.
Office of Personnel Management Director Janice Lachance said the Clinton administration also opposed the measure. Lachance said official time spent on union activities helps improve labor-management relations. She also said it is appropriate for employees to represent their unions before Congress.
Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said federal employees should not be permitted to work on non-governmental matters on taxpayers' time.
"I am disturbed to hear that the administration believes that lobbying is appropriate," Sessions said.
Under the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, employees have the right to use official time for collective bargaining. The act allows agencies and unions to negotiate what else constitutes the appropriate use of official time, though the act bars employees from soliciting members, electing officials or collecting dues on government time.
A General Accounting Office survey of 32 federal agencies found that employees spent 2.5 million hours on union activities in 1996. GAO noted, however, that agencies did not have a standard way to collect such data. Twenty-seven of the agencies surveyed reported a combined total of 11,000 employees who used official time for union duties. Another 29 agencies reported spending a total of $50 million for employees' official time spent on union activities.
Agencies told GAO that allowing employees to work on union activities improved labor-management relations, helped push through organizational changes and decreased the number of grievances. On the other hand, agencies also reported that official time for union activities caused employees to set aside their regular work.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said he was concerned that the measure is part of a larger push to reduce the power of labor unions.
"I think there has been an effort to destroy unions," Cummings said.
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