Federal Workforce Freedom Act
The Federal Workforce Freedom Act would end federal employee participation in labor unions and any union-based collective bargaining. It would prohibit federal employees from organizing, joining, or participating in a labor union for purposes of collective bargaining or representation, and it would bar federal agencies from recognizing or negotiating with unions. All existing collective bargaining agreements and related arbitration or grievance proceedings would be terminated or dismissed, and the act would repeal the entire Chapter 71 framework of Title 5 U.S.C. that currently governs federal labor-management relations. The measure was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; it is currently at the introduction stage and has not become law.
Key Points
- 1Bans on union activity by federal employees: No federal employee may organize, join, or participate in a labor union for purposes of collective bargaining or representation.
- 2Prohibition on agency bargaining: No federal agency may recognize or engage in collective bargaining negotiations with a labor union.
- 3Termination of all CBAs: Any collective bargaining agreement, entered into before, on, or after enactment, is terminated.
- 4Dismissal of related proceedings: Any arbitration, dispute resolution, or grievance proceedings based on those CBAs shall be dismissed.
- 5Repeal of the federal labor-relations framework: Chapter 71 of Title 5, U.S.C. would be repealed, eliminating the current statutory structure for federal employee labor relations.