Workers: Defense bill would undermine labor protections

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s defense policy bill would undermine a presidential executive order that requires federal contractors to disclose any labor law violations, a provision that prompted federal contract workers to make the rounds in Senate offices Wednesday.

The workers are focusing on Senate Armed Services Committee members, asking the lawmakers to remove a provision that labor organizers say would exempt defense contractors from reporting violations. The provision was attached to the Senate bill at the request of several GOP senators who argued the order involves “blacklisting” certain contractors.

In 2014, Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order, which would require potential contractors for federal contracts valued at more than $500,000 to disclose whether they violated labor laws in the last three years. A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act would exempt defense contractors from the order, unless those contractors have been “suspended or debarred” due to labor law violations.

Labor organizers and workers say the provision damages protections for federal workers, particularly those at the Pentagon who have faced retaliation for organizing to push for higher wages and more benefits. Over the past three years, Pentagon workers have joined other federal workers at 17 strikes, including at the U.S. Capitol, that were organized by the labor coalition Good Jobs Nation.

On May 23, the same day that the House passed the NDAA with a similar provision, the National Labor Relations Board released a notice of a complaint against the Pentagon’s food service vendor, Seven Hills Inc., alleging retaliation against workers who had gone on strike.

“It’s ironic that the GOP claims defense contractors follow the law even though a U.S. government investigation revealed that Pentagon contract workers are being threatened, intimidated and even fired for exercising our legal rights,” Mayra Tito, a Pentagon food worker who was fired for organizing a union, said in a May 23 news release.