Imagine each working day, federal employees report for work but do not perform any governmental duties. Instead, they work for a private enterprise void of any public purpose — their union. Taxpayers pay for these employees’ wages, pensions and health care benefits. Taxpayers pay for office space, supplies and travel, too.
Unfortunately, there is no need to imagine. It is a longstanding and wasteful practice, known as union official time. Generally, federal employees on official time perform union business such as negotiate contracts, file grievances, attend union conferences and even lobby Congress.
The latest data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates the union subsidy costs $178.8 million, with federal employees spending 3.6 million hours conducting union business. It is important to note that these figures are estimates that do not include the cost of office space and other perks, and likely lowball because federal agencies do a poor job tracking and recording the hours spent on official time and the costs.
Back in May 2018, President Trump issued three executive orders to curtail official time and to make federal agencies more accountable and fiscally responsible. Specifically, the orders will make it easier to remove federal employees for poor performance and misconduct, require agencies to negotiate more effective union contracts and limit the amount of time federal employees conduct union business on the taxpayers’ dime.
Shortly after the orders were issued, multiple labor unions filed lawsuits against the orders and won a temporary injunction. That ended on Oct. 2, 2019, when a federal appeals court lifted the injunction on the executive orders.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com
I hope he goes further and abolishes these loser-government-”worker” unions. I believe they were started with an EO...end them with an EO. if the government “workers” have a problem...they should quit.
Unfortunately, there is no need to imagine. It is a longstanding and wasteful practice, known as union official time. Generally, federal employees on official time perform union business such as negotiate contracts, file grievances, attend union conferences and even lobby Congress.
The latest data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates the union subsidy costs $178.8 million, with federal employees spending 3.6 million hours conducting union business. It is important to note that these figures are estimates that do not include the cost of office space and other perks, and likely lowball because federal agencies do a poor job tracking and recording the hours spent on official time and the costs.
Back in May 2018, President Trump issued three executive orders to curtail official time and to make federal agencies more accountable and fiscally responsible. Specifically, the orders will make it easier to remove federal employees for poor performance and misconduct, require agencies to negotiate more effective union contracts and limit the amount of time federal employees conduct union business on the taxpayers’ dime.
Shortly after the orders were issued, multiple labor unions filed lawsuits against the orders and won a temporary injunction. That ended on Oct. 2, 2019, when a federal appeals court lifted the injunction on the executive orders.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com
I hope he goes further and abolishes these loser-government-”worker” unions. I believe they were started with an EO...end them with an EO. if the government “workers” have a problem...they should quit.
