by Bobby L. Harnage,
President American Federation of Government Employees


The outrageous demand by President Bush to strip federal workers in the new Homeland Security Department of their workplace and civil service rights is a serious threat that should concern all Americans. At the time of this article, Congress was still debating the issue.

We must ask ourselves what is the war against terrorism all about? If we are fighting this war to protect our freedoms and the American way of life, then how can we win by taking away the basic freedom of association for tens of thousands of workers?

Under the Bush plan, if a manager arbitrarily downgrades your position and pay, passes you over for a promotion you truly deserve, or fires you because he or she doesn't like your political beliefs, there will no longer be a union or civil service law to protect you.

Why? Bush argues that the Homeland Security Department needs to have the "flexibility" to get the job done. But "management flexibility" is doublespeak for management freedom from unions who advocate fairness and from taxpayers who demand that federal managers answer for their actions.

Just ask the 1000 Department of Justice employees who petitioned for union representation and then, on the same day, under an Executive Order signed by President Bush, were stripped of their union rights and civil service protections, all in the name of national security.

AFGE fully supports the goal of protecting Americans. It's what AFGE members do everyday. Before, during and after September 11 federal employees have worked to protect the freedoms Americans hold dear. Not one complaint has ever been raised that their status, collective bargaining rights or civil service procedures have ever interfered with our nation's security.

Denying federal employees their basic freedoms at work will not make the U.S. safer - only less democratic. Underscoring the seriousness of this threat, the AFL-CIO Executive Council recently adopted a statement that condemned the Bush Administration's efforts to strip 170,000 federal employees of the right to union representation.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the Bush Administration's Homeland Security proposal that strips federal workers of their union rights. The bill currently before the U.S. Senate secures our rights to union representation and civil service protections. AFGE supports the Senate's bill because it will provide the most security for our homeland protectors provided by federal employees.

A key part of the Senate measure is a compromise measure introduced by Senators Chafee, Nelson and Beaux. The compromise preserves the collective bargaining rights of the employees and will give employee representatives a seat at the table as management develops its personnel system.

Their approach permits the administration to loosen the civil service rules governing promotions and dismissals, but federal employee unions could object. If the two sides reached an impasse on such changes, the Federal Services Impasses Panel, a board of seven presidential appointees, would arbitrate. The panel provides such arbitration under a similar arrangement covering workers at the Internal Revenue Service.

The proposal changes the president's existing ability to cite national security purposes to decertify union affiliation for homeland security workers. The proposal merely recognizes the existence of terrorism where the current 24-year-old law only addresses "National Security." Only employees whose primary duty is intelligence, counterintelligence or terrorism investigation could be stripped of union rights by the president.

AFGE urges Congress to adopt the final bill with this language and calls on President Bush to sign it in the nation's interest. But the Bush Administration's spokesperson Ari Fleischer warned that the president would veto the bill if it included the compromise language. And Senate Republicans have filibustered against a vote on the compromise language.

We urge all union members and their families to write to their elected representatives in Congress and urge them to protect workers rights to join a union and engage in collective bargaining. The labor movement faces no greater fight and no greater threat today. If federal workers lose their union rights, private sector workers will be the Bush Administration's next target. Together we can take a stand for democracy and win the war against terrorism without surrendering our basic rights.