February 16, 2001 AFL-CIO News Release

Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney
on President Bush's Decision to Issue Four Executive Orders

I am appalled and outraged at President Bush's decision to issue four mean-spirited, anti-worker executive orders sought by his corporate contributors and by right-wing ideologues. These orders undermine worker rights and dismantle thoughtfully constructed and effective working relationships between labor and management.

This action comes just 48 hours after Bush's Secretary of Labor promised to work with our leadership and breeches an understanding with the White House Chief of Staff to have discussions with us on issues whether we are in agreement or not. This violates the President's own public pledges to consult widely, promote civility and "change the tone" in Washington. His action appears to be pure retribution for the growing voice of working men and women in our nation's political life.

The executive orders involve the following:

Union Dues and Fees

This executive order requires government contractors to post notices stating that employees cannot be required to become union members in order to retain their jobs and that those who do not join the union may object to paying the portion of agency fees that are not related to collective bargaining. Contractors that fail to comply can be barred from bidding on or keeping their government contracts.

This order is identical to one issued by the first President Bush during his 1992 re-election campaign to shore up right-wing support. If workers need to be further informed of their rights, their right to organize deserves first priority—but the Bush order is silent about that.

Project Labor Agreements

This executive order forbids agencies from requiring bidders on federal construction projects to agree to enter into agreements with a labor organization for the work, effectively barring the government from using project labor agreements.

The federal government and the states have successfully built numerous public buildings and facilities under project labor agreements for many decades because they promote efficiency and economy. Agreements typically set terms and conditions of employment on complex projects and guarantee the orderly resolution of any labor disputes to prevent strikes and lockouts. They enable all contractors to bid on equal terms, regardless of whether their workers have ever been organized. This new executive order undermines sensible procurement policy, reduces construction options and will increase government construction costs.

Displacement of Qualified Workers

This executive order rescinds a 1994 executive order requiring building service contractors in federal buildings that have taken over work previously performed by another contractor to offer continued employment in the same jobs to qualified employees of the displaced contractor.

This order deprives service employees on federal worksites of job security when the federal government changes contractors. These workers are usually low-paid, and even brief periods of unemployment can be catastrophic for their families. There is simply no justification for eliminating this important protection.

Federal Sector Labor-Management

This order rescinds a 1993 executive order that required federal agencies to confer with their employees' representative over such topics as staffing levels and work techniques, and established the National Partnership Council to improve labor-management relations throughout the federal government.

This order immediately abolishes labor-management relations systems that serve the federal government and hundreds of thousands of federal workers as well. The flexible approach to resolving workplace issues represented by these programs reflects a steady development in federal personnel relations that began in the Nixon Administration. Now, President Bush has unceremoniously and inexplicably ended these initiatives, effectively telling his own employees that they are unrespected and unimportant.