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Unions Protest Attack on Civil Service at Department of Defense

February 14, 2005

President George W. Bush is initiating changes in labor relations policy at the Department of Defense (DoD) that rival President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 firing of 11,000 striking federal air traffic controllers as a precedent for weakening unions in the public and private sectors.

A coalition of 40 unions, representing DoD workers – including the IBEW – is organizing to stop the plan that, if implemented, would gut union and civil service protections. On February 8, hundreds of federal workers marched to Capitol Hill to protest the changes.

The DoD proposals follow the January 2005 issuance of new policies covering 180,000 workers at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The National Security Personnel System – alleged to strengthen the fight against terrorism – would eliminate workforce-staffing levels, weaken seniority rights, allowing for promotions based upon management recommendations, with no safeguards against favoritism. The rights of employees to challenge actions by management would be severely restrained. Labor relations principles such as "just cause" and due process would become meaningless. Civilian workers would be treated as military personnel, subject to deployment anywhere in the world on short notice.

DoD administrators have held meetings in different areas contending that they want employee input on policy changes. Gil Bateman, Director of the IBEW Government Department, claims that the meetings are a sham. He says, "DoD has flat out refused to involve the unions in meaningful discussions." Five unions have announced that they will file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against portions of the new personnel system, charging that Pentagon officials violated federal law by formulating the new policies without adequately involving unions.

Members of Congress from both parties have questioned whether new labor relations policies go further than Congress intended when they approved the National Security Personnel System. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME.) said: "I will be watching closely...to ensure that federal employees’ rights are not abrogated and that the highly-skilled civilian defense workforce can continue to stand arm-in-arm with their military counterparts to provide for the security of our nation."

The United Department of Defense Workers Coalition (UDWC) has issued a detailed analysis and questioning of the broad concepts contained in the new personnel policies. Coalition members express the willingness to bargain over changes in labor relations policy and assignment of employees, but stress that "DoD must begin by engaging in a collaborative design process with employee representatives." They contend that the DoD’s proposals to merge job classifications must not be initiated without proper training if national security is to be protected.

At the February 8 rally, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney rejected the administration’s argument that the policy changes will make the nation safer. "The last thing we need at this time of increased national security," he said "is arbitrary changes in workplace rules that endanger the civil service program" Sweeney pledged to put the support of the entire labor movement behind the DoD workers.

Sweeney emphasized the broad influence of the civil service changes: "At a time when employers nationwide are trying to downsize and degrade jobs all over our country, these new rules will turn government jobs – long a bellwether for fair and responsible employers, into more McJobs...Wal-Mart type jobs. What a shabby and shortsighted way to treat America’s defense workers who are on the frontlines of the fight to protect our country."

A sample letter to Congress in support of DoD workers can be found at www.uniteddodworkerscoalition.org.

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