In wake of judge’s order, Social Security to restore rights of unions
“NTEU intends to ensure that the rescisman Andy Reuss said in an email Wednesday.sionofitsactionsiscarriedoutcompletely and expeditiously,” union president Tony number of labor groups joined in the Reardon said in a prepared statement. suit. The lead plaintiffs were the American
While most Social Security workers are Federation of Government Employees, the affiliated with AFGE, NTEU represents National Treasury Employees Union, the about 1,700 employees at the agency’s Office National Federation of Federal Employees of Hearings Operations. and the American Federation of State,
The unions had been complaining earlier County and Municipal Employees. this week that Social Security wasn’t reAfter Trump signed the executive orders, sponding to to the judge’s order. As recently AFGEsaid it had to take downunion signs in as Wednesday morning, Social Security had the Social Security offices and place filing said in a statement that it was continuing its cabinets and records in storage. Anumber of “current arrangements” while it reviewed unions said their representatives worked on the judge’s order. personal time to handle union business.
Trump signed the executive orders with In complying with the judge’s decision, the stated goals of promoting accountability, Social Security “also agreed to work with us rooting out poor performers and negotiating to restore any personal time used or travel union contracts more advantageous to taxexpenses incurred as a result of the agency’s payers and the federal government. imposition of the” executive orders, said
The orders allowed agencies to more Marilyn Zahm, president of the Association easily fire underperforming employees and of Administrative Law Judges, which has limited issues that might be negotiated in more than 1,000 members working at Social collective bargaining. Security offices across the country.
The unions sued in a Washington federal Trump issued another executive order in court, arguing the orders ran contrary to the July giving the heads of agencies, including Federal Service Labor Management RelaSocial Security, the ability to hire administions Act, a 40-year-old law establishing trative law judges. collective bargaining rights for federal workThe judges — nearly 2,000 across various ers. agencies — had previously been hired in a
In striking down key provisions, U.S. competitive system led by the Office of District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote Personnel Management. that “no such orders can operate to eviscerZahm said she fears the change will lead ate the right to bargain collectively as to hiring based on political considerations envisioned in the [federal law]. In this instead of competence. Court’s view, the challenged provisions of “We still want to try to find a way to the executive orders at issue have that reverse that executive order,” perhaps by cumulative effect.” legislation, she said.
It remains unclear whether the Justice But Trump’s order said the shift provides Department will appeal. agency heads “with additional flexibility to
“Wearedisappointed in the ruling andare assess prospective appointees without the considering the appropriate next steps to limitations imposed by competitive examiensure the President is able to fulfill his nation and competitive service selection constitutional duties, run an effective and procedures.” efficient government, and protect taxpayers from waste and abuse,” department spokes-
Unions representing thousands of Social Security Administration employees said Thursday that the agency is lifting rules that restricted the unions’ ability to advocate for members in the workplace.
The rules had been issued by President Donald J. Trump in three executive orders on May 25.
A federal judge ruled Saturday that Trump overstepped his authority in significant portions of the orders, which restricted members’ access to government office space for union business and limited the time for union activities such as discussion about grievances.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other unions had been waiting since Saturday for the Baltimorebased Social Security Administration to confirm it would comply, as the Justice Department in Washington weighed a possible appeal. Confirmation came on Thursday. “As of August 30, the agency is returning to the terms we had with our unions prior to the implementation of the executive orders,” the administration said in a statement in response to Baltimore Sun questions. “Social Security enacted these steps consistent with the recent District Court ruling and accompanying guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management.”
“We’re back in business,” said Jack Riismandel, executive vice president of an AFGE local that represents many of the more than 11,000 Social Security workers at the Baltimore headquarters. “They’re complying with the order. They’re giving us back our space.”
The National Treasury Employees Union said it, too, was informed in a conference call with Social Security officials that the agency was complying with the court order.