Scorched Earth: EO signed yesterday strips away collective bargaining for some federal employees

[deminks]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/12/20081201-7.html

Executive Order: Exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program


http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/bush-collective/

Bush strips collective bargaining rights from federal employees.»

Yesterday, President Bush issued an executive order “that denies collective bargaining rights to about 8,600 federal employees who work in law enforcement, intelligence and other agencies responsible for national security.” 900 of the employees affected were already represented by collective bargaining units. Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said that employees “had their collective bargaining rights stripped away for no justifiable reason.” For more on Bush’s last-minute regulations, orders, and proposed rule changes, check out ThinkProgress’ updated report: “Bush’s Backward Sprint To The Finish.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/washington/02labor.html?_r=1&ref=us

WASHINGTON — President Bush issued an executive order on Monday that denies collective bargaining rights to about 8,600 federal employees who work in law enforcement, intelligence and other agencies responsible for national security.

Mr. Bush said it would be inconsistent with “national security requirements” to allow those employees to engage in collective bargaining with respect to the conditions of their employment.

Among those affected are 5,000 employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is now part of the Justice Department.

Scott M. Stanzel, a White House spokesman, said that 4,000 of those employees had not chosen to participate in collective bargaining. But he said that 900 were represented by collective bargaining units.

Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Emplo

[Metta]

1. He inherits the suffering of those he affected. Happy karma, George.

I'd like to be around to see it bear fruit.

[Trillo]

2. Meanwhile, administration moves to broaden "right of conscience" for healthcare workers.

I wonder what would happen if the same right of refusal were granted to this group of workers.

Shouldn't everyone have the right to tell their boss to jump over a fruit loop without suffering any negative consequences? Yet, the very thing Bush grants to healthcare employees cannot even be discussed or "collectively bargained" with these "lessor workers" in "national security" (should be sarcasm, but apparently it's not).