Find Out More About the EOs
We will fight back against these executive orders and any unlawful treatment of all federal employees. We need you ready to act and engage as we respond to this egregious and outrageous attack against our work, our country, and our democracy.
Here’s what you need to know:
The executive orders cover three main areas: Collective bargaining - how your union negotiates workplace protocols such as reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities, employee training, overtime, telework, and flexible work schedules; Removal procedure and merit principles - your rights to protection against unfair termination, suspension, and performance evaluation; Official time - the time your union reps use for legally mandated representation of employees in the workplace. Each of these executive orders strikes at the core of your representation and rights in the workplace and open you and your colleagues up for unjust termination and retaliation.
Here are just a few of your rights that have been removed in each executive order:
- Gives performance priority consideration over seniority during Reductions in Force (RIF).
- Removes the use of “comparators” that have helped ensure fairness in disciplinary actions, meaning there doesn’t have to be the same standard or reason to fire one employee used for another employee.
- Removes defined timelines for employee improvement, gives discretion to supervisors to terminate employees in an undefined timeline.
- Reduces your access to union help and guidance in the workplace.
- Drastically cuts the hours union representatives are available to respond to your needs. This means that if there is discrimination, intimidation, or harassment in your place of work, your coworkers who are union reps will have fewer hours to respond and aid you in filing grievances or other necessary response.
- Removes union offices and access to meeting rooms at the worksite, making it harder for you to get the help you need when and where you need it.
- Orders agencies to open all Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) for re-negotiation as soon as possible, so the agency can implement new rules that give the agency and management more discretion and give you fewer rights.
- Sets arbitrary timelines for completion of phases of bargaining. When those timelines expire, the agency is to enforce its own recommendations without union input.
- Attempts to end bargaining on permissive subjects, which narrows the issues your union can negotiate on your behalf.
We will be in contact to update you on ways to get involved in fighting back against Trump’s attack on your rights and your job. For now, please go to www.afge.org/update to make sure we have the most up to date personal contact information.
Have you signed up for text messages so you can stay in the loop on these important issues? Text AFGE to 59129 or click here and answer a few quick questions to get signed up.
