WHEREAS:

Federal employees' right to collective bargaining has been recognized for forty years and was codified in law in 1979; and

WHEREAS:

The Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute authorizes the President to exclude federal employees from coverage under the labor law if the employees work for an agency that has a primary function of intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work. Until this year, no President has exercised this authority to deny collective bargaining rights to clerical and other non-professional employees working in the five subdivisions of the Justice Department including employees of U.S. Attorneys' Office; and

WHEREAS:

President Bush issued an Executive Order denying all workers at the five subdivisions of the Justice Department the right to collective bargaining despite the fact that in the history of collective bargaining in those offices there has never been an allegation that bargaining rights interfered with legitimate government objectives or national security; and

WHEREAS:

Members of AFSCME and other unions were unfairly and inappropriately denied basic rights as the Bush Administration made cynical use of the September 11th tragedy to further its anti-worker agenda; and

WHEREAS:

The Administration has so far refused to grant basic collective bargaining rights to newly federalized baggage screeners, despite the fact that there is no legitimate basis for withholding such rights.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME work to restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees working in the Justice Department subdivisions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME advocate for full bargaining rights for employees working as baggage screeners at the nation's airports.

SUBMITTED BY:

Saul Schniderman, President
Charles David Sallas, Secretary
AFSCME Council 26
Washington, DC