RESTORING UNION COLLECTIVE BARGAINING STATUS—HOSTAGE STYLE

With the resounding election repudiation of all things Trump, unions should now be in a much better position to get their bargaining, time, and arbitration rights restored. Demanding a bill to override the President’s power to exclude units sounds like a waste of time. It will take a year or so, probably be vetoed, and even if passed challenged for  years in the courts.

A much faster approach would be to convince Congress, especially the newly elevated leaders and the revenge seeking members of the opposition, to hold up Trump requests until he restores these rights. While I would like to see everyone’s rights restored at once, I am OK with doing this agency by agency. For example, he wants billions more to wage whatever it is he thinks he is doing to Iran.  Before giving him a dime, the appropriation should either include a provision restoring collective bargaining rights throughout DoD or at least a back room deal that he restores them once the bill is passed but before it is signed.

Sadly, unions may have to consider putting similar pressure on Shumer and Jefferies.  Neither has a record of working hard for feds and their unions.

Let the fight begin.  Don’t anyone think we are getting those rights back by merely asking or otherwise playing nice with any politicians.