A public employees union is suing the Trump administration over new rules that make it easier to fire federal workers, claiming the rules violate employees’ right to freedom of association and exceed the president’s constitutional authority.
The executive orders, unveiled just before Memorial Day weekend, limit workers’ right union representation when challenging terminations, suspensions, demotions, or other adverse employment actions.
The Trump administration claims the rule changes will help agencies rid themselves of misbehaving and underperforming workers, and will save taxpayers at least $100 million each year. But the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents hundreds of thousands of federal employees around the country, says the move requires congressional sign-off.
“This president seems to think he is above the law, and we are not going to stand by while he tries to shred workers’ rights,” AFGE’s President J. David Cox Sr. said in a statement. “This is a democracy, not a dictatorship. No president should be able to undo a law he doesn’t like through administrative fiat.”
Read the full complaint here:
This is why Unions are important. One of many reasons actually. Federal public employee union members are not allowed by law to strike. If ever there was a reason to strike, this would be it. I hope a lawsuit will suffice and rectify this injustice. Fingers crossed.
As a former Fed, although not allowed to join the Union, I am glad to see this. I hope other unions join in and ACLU files a brief. Jeez, is there a Trump Amin action that doesn’t have a lawsuit?
First Amendment, Separation of Powers, and then on to the Statutes…
who advises trump on these “executive” napkin notes?
I bet every business manager wishes they could just issue an executive order to tear up their union contracts. Not.
This is what running the country like a really crappy, badly managed business looks like.
How many fed workers voted for Trump?