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Return to Article: Rallying Over Rulings

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  Are any of us surprised at the anti-union stand this administration has taken? The President was the governor of one of the largest right-to-work states in the union. He's always been anti-union. Did we think things would change? How naive is that?

  Republicans have been traditionally anti-federal employee. Why did we think this would change? I can only hope that a new administration will restore our ability to bargain B-1 rights.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 20, 2004 11:04 AM
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  I was a member of the Teamsters for a while and therefore consider my opinion somewhat valid. The rants of AFGE make me laugh! Demonstrating, railing against management, etc. etc. and one of the four BEST examples you can bring up about unfair practises is that judges don't have enough designated parking spaces?!?

  Give me a break! If AFGE was a real union that existed solely at the pleasure of its employee base, things might be different. But, let it suffice to say you can see how much there is to get upset about by this article.

  The reality is that unions were created because management used to have employees over a barrel. That slowly reversed and in many, maybe even most cases now, unions now have management over a barrel. The middle class has done this to themselves in large part through greater and greater demands. Think not? Look at the average hourly wage for most manufacturing jobs and compare the cost of the products made in America versus equivalents that are shipped in. And look at what people go on strike for here: i.e. a couple years ago, Saturn employees went on strike (read that as "quit working") to get their management to guarantee their longevity of employment!

  John Gage, et al: Pick battles that are actually important and maybe you'll come back into relevance...

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 19, 2004 3:34 PM
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  AFGE is a toothless tiger whose officials are more interested in drawing a paycheck than taking care of business. Don't waste your time or money on AFGE.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 19, 2004 6:51 AM
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  Since his back door entry into the White House in 2000, Bush has waged open war against unions. These unions are the last line of defense for working families. In the federal sector, the FLRA, FSIP, and MSPB were intentioned to act as neutrals in resolving disputes in the federal workplace. In less than a term in office, he has succeeded in turning these impartials into corporate/political puppets and moving to eliminating civil service protections for half the federal workforce.

  The other thing Bush has taken away from the federal worker is their apathy towards the government that employs them and the process used to change bosses. In my book, the best and only good thing Bush has done while in office. Without this apathy, a new breed of civil servants have emerged. Those that once again realize that what they do for this country is important work, should be performed by federal employees, and performed in a fair system not prone to political paybacks and rewards for having a bent spine.

  Mark Gibson Posted July 18, 2004 7:59 PM
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  This administration is more anti-union than any in modern history. Just this week they forbade graduate student teachers from organizing at Brown University, saying that they were students, not employees, (even though they were getting a paycheck), and had no right to form a Union.

  Between this, the massive attack against federal worker Unions, and everything else, I can't wait to get rid of G.W.

  I made the mistake of voting for G.W. in the last election.

  I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER make that mistake again.

  Jim Posted July 17, 2004 8:10 AM
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  Mr. Gage is performing an important service for all Americans.

  We all need to understand that he is fighting against a climate of hostility towards the working class. Direct attacks by people who we elected (or not) against most of us.

  The systematic deprecation of our rights can only lead to a nation which no longer allows a functional middle class to thrive.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 16, 2004 12:54 PM
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  Unions are the last great hope of the American people. The big business culture is trying to export our manufacturing jobs, use illegal aliens to replace Americans in the service jobs, and turn the civil service into a patronage hornets' nest.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 16, 2004 7:26 AM