Unions Angered as Bush Further Limits Eligibility

[douglas9]

Source: Washington Post

Government unions yesterday criticized a White House executive order that bars certain workers at five federal departments from joining a union because they are engaged in intelligence gathering, investigations and other national security work.

Offices covered by the order employ about 8,600 people within the Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation and Treasury departments. About 900 of them are Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives workers who have chosen to participate in collective bargaining and will lose their negotiated work rules, a White House spokesman said. Such rules typically cover working hours, scheduling and promotion procedures, for example.

The National Treasury Employees Union, however, said the order covers about 1,500 workers in the ATF bargaining unit at the Justice Department, plus about 50 in the Office of International Affairs at Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Homeland Security Department.

Workers at other offices typically have not sought or were previously prohibited from collective bargaining.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120202091_pf.html

[Sherman A1]

1. I believe that Obama already said something to the effect of

reviewing all of Bush's executive orders. Perhaps I am wrong, but I believe he said something along those lines. Of course this may take awhile to do.

[DrDan]

2. yes he did - and how he handles this particular one will

be very telling as to the future direction of his administration.

Not unlike his vote on the Telecoms - that was very telling.

[Omaha Steve]

3. The NYT story yesterday said that....

Some of these jobs have been unionized for over 30 years, and there is no indication it ever interfered with job duties all that time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=367x14899

[HopeHoops]

4. Scorched Earth - that's all Bush has left!