Colin Smalley at the ZNetwork reports the reality for more than 1.3 Million Federal Government Workers leading up to the second Trump Administration has been collective bargaining through Unions recognized by the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA). This recognition comes with the right to bargain over working conditions and conditions of employment. It also includes an individual right to representation when the boss is asking questions that could lead to discipline. However, for a majority of these Workers, Trump’s Executive Order 14251 strips those rights in the name of “national security.” These Workers, myself and my Union included, are now faced with a scenario that’s been all too common: There’s no real path to recognition or formal bargaining rights in the near future. In fact, this was the state of organizing in the Federal Sector before 1962. Whether it’s well-established local Unions or newly-formed Organizing Committees, many Workers are asking: “What can our Union do at this point?” This scenario puts us in the same situation as Workers who are forming a Union and haven’t yet built the majority they would need to win formal Union recognition - sometimes called Pre-Majority Unionism. In my shop we’ve been calling our situation Unilateral Unionism, since we do have majority Membership. Either way, if recognition from the employer is off the table, we have to be able to build power through collective action instead. The reality is: There’s still so much Workers can do!

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To:  How Federal Workers Without a Union Can Still Act Like a Union