House Panel Bucks Bush Administration on Workplace Rights

[LiberalFighter]

Source: Washington Post

In a blow to Bush administration efforts to overhaul the civil service, a House subcommittee yesterday voted to roll back contentious workplace changes planned for the Defense Department.

Collective bargaining rights and disciplinary appeal rights for the department's civil service employees would be restored under the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill approved by the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee. The bill also would add what the subcommittee called "procedural safeguards for pay for performance."

The subcommittee's decision, announced by the panel's chairman, Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz (D-Tex.), reflects the change in power on Capitol Hill following last year's congressional elections. Only four years ago, a Republican-led Congress granted the Pentagon broad powers to create the new personnel system and revamp how Defense Department civilians are paid, promoted and disciplined.

The rules for the new National Security Personnel System, issued in 2005, called for a new labor-management system at the Defense Department that sharply curbed union power and limited the topics put on the bargaining table. Pentagon officials said the rules would make it easier to reassign employees and more quickly respond to national security threats.

Read more: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/08/AR2007050801847.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. This is great news for the civil servants in DOD who were about to get the shaft

The employees at Homeland Security successfully challenged the NSPS in the courts last year. DOD is the next shoe to drop on an attempt to politicize the federal workforce.

Elections have consequences!

[Omaha Steve]

2. I'm sorry I missed the breaking story until now

I've worked 12-14 hour shifts the last few days and I'm just catching up. Great news and post.