LETTERS

Questioning the way federal labor unions operate

Posted 12/4/14

To the Editor:

It has been reported by the FOX News network that unionized federal employees spent 2.48 million hours working for their labor unions while getting paid by taxpayers during 2013 and …

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LETTERS

Questioning the way federal labor unions operate

Posted

To the Editor:

It has been reported by the FOX News network that unionized federal employees spent 2.48 million hours working for their labor unions while getting paid by taxpayers during 2013 and more than 360 workers who are on the federal payroll spent 100 percent of their time working for their union.

This seems excessive even to anyone unfamiliar with the workings of the Federal Employment System. What makes this figure even more bizarre is that union representatives are authorized to intervene in grievances placed by non-union members. This practice seems to negate any reasoning for being a union member and results in a union representative spending even more time being involved in union procedures in lieu of the mission of said organization.

Under federal rules, employees who are members of a labor union are entitled to so-called “official time,” where they are dismissed from their duties as a government employee to engage in labor union organizing activities. A new report from the Government Accountability Office shows the use of official time has increased over the past several years as the size of the federal workforce has grown, especially under this administration.

According to the Office of Personnel Management, which tracks federal employees’ time, federal employees were paid more than $157 million during 2012 while doing work for labor unions. This is taxpayer money being spent, in many ways, on petty grievances being lodged by non-union members.

The GAO says the price tag may be even higher, since some federal agencies are not adequately tracking their employees’ official time.

What adds to the confusion of what the unions actually accomplish is the fact that during this administration federal employees have not received an annual raise or the raise has been so miniscule as to not even resemble a cost of living raise. The entire federal government both military and civilian pride themselves on a policy of not allowing waste, fraud and abuse to exist within federal organizations. There seems to be a discrepancy when viewing the manner in which federal unions operate.

John Cervone

North Providence

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