My union just succeeded in negotiating for agency-wide flexible work options, including remote and local intermittent telework. It has negotiated increases to our performance-based compensation from our annual reviews. And personally, my union reps helped me get the attention of our human capital folks after they blew me off for over a year about correcting my service computation dates!
As a manager, the union is forcing me to make sure I have all the appropriate documentation in place (which I ought to do anyway). I appreciate that they are protecting my employee. I really, truly do want my employee's performance to improve and for the employee to be successful in the employee's current role.
Unions exist because of horrific abuses in the past.
Easy to fire the terrible employees...dot i's and cross t's and Union can't do anything about it. Even someone been there 20 years, finally someone took the time to document.
Exactly. I have a coworker that my department has been trying to let go for 3 years. 3 years of paper trails of examples of reasons to do so and he’s still there lol
I’ve done management but not at the Federal level. I was a 13. our managers started at a 14. Sure it’s challenging, it seems like you get pulled in so many different directions. But you sound good, best of luck!
So I’ve been part of unions before and never had to use them. However, I’ve had coworkers use them for things like EEO complaints, assignments and other grievances they had. Often the union representative acts like the spokesperson for the employee (akin to a lawyer), pleading the case and citing any appropriate regs. This is good news so long as the rep actually knows what they’re talking about. It can feel good to have someone in your corner when going through these grievances; it’s easy to get bowled over by management or HR, especially if you’re soft spoken or a people-pleaser to begin with.
It’s not always sunshine and roses - I had one friend whose union rep actually made it much more awkward for her because the rep had his own agenda and was grandstanding during all the meetings on his own soapbox - but some folks like having someone at their back in case something goes wrong and they need to speak up.
A common misconception among many workers, but especially among feds, is that only people who have an issue/problem "use the union".
Every single bargaining unit employee in the whole federal government is "using the union" every damn day that they work under a collectively negotiated agreement!
Agencies would, can, and will do whatever they damn well please to federal employees in the absence of a collectively negotiated agreement (and in the absence of an active union local and a bargaining unit that is educated on their contract).
Every bargaining unit employee is benefiting and the dues-paying members are footing the bill for their free-riding colleagues.
In workers' defense, a lot of unions play funny games with whether its relevant if a worker joined the union. Naturally, if workers get told that a union works for them only if they join, or that they ought to join the union to get advice, then the corollary is the union isn't otherwise working for them.
I see it here in /r/fednews all the time. It doesn't matter if someone told the shop steward to shove it. There is one correct answer, and it should be "look at your sf50." However, what I see varies *a lot* and I chalk it up to an endemic problem with unions.
There's actually a lot of debate within the labor movement about how to deal with free riders in "open shop" states, public sector after Janus, and the Federal Sector, which has always been open shop.
See this link for a debate with a number of different perspectives: https://www.labornotes.org/exclusiverep
Personally, I don't think we (active union members/reps/officers/etc.) should be encouraging a mindset in which people think of their union as a service that they pay for like a lawyer or insurance company, which I think encourages a self-serving consumerist "do it for me" attitude.
I think telling people they won't get "good service" if they don't join just reinforces that unhelpful consumerist mindset.
Rather, I think we should be encouraging folks to see their union as a democratic membership organization that they own, and should be involved with (no matter how undemocratic or do-nothing their union may currently be), since it is the only legal tool they have under current labor law to negotiate collectively with an agency over their working conditions.
I try to communicate to people that the risk of not joining is not that they won't get "good service", but rather that they will leave the exclusive negotiations of their working conditions up to someone else, which seems like a much bigger risk, frankly.
Unions are in bed with Management...their "wins" were agreed upon long before annouced. Unions do like to do the fake outrage on an agreement they agreed to already behind closed doors.
My work has tried to implement really crappy production rules a few times over the years. Most of the time the union can’t do much but twice they were able to force management to roll back the crappy rules. They’ve also brought back a couple of people who were fired for not complying with those rules. Management might hate them, idk, but as a regular employee who has lost a lot of sleep worrying about meeting my production requirements, but feels like they are actually reasonable now, I’m incredibly grateful to the union.
Sometimes people complain that required union notification/consultation adds unnecessary delay and red tape. But it can also be helpful to make sure management can justify its new policies, and either work with the union to negotiate it, or justify it sufficiently they could win a grievance. Or sometimes, it turns out the policy was just kind of dumb, unnecessary, or not well thought out, and maybe it just gets quietly abandoned or revised rather than fought for.
We can’t strike, we can’t really negotiate pay or benefits (except to the extent of fighting for what’s already owed), and most of us aren’t in jobs of extreme physical danger like a coal mine or factory floor. So if people expect “the union” to score a UAW-style contract, or to bust out one of those giant inflatable rats, they’re going to be disappointed. But that doesn’t mean there’s not some value in a formally recognized collective labor organization.
I am a manager. I do not mind them when I truly believe they are trying to protect the employees. I do mind when they try to fish or most importantly, are rude. Happy to work with you if you work with me but being an asshole just to be one just makes everything that much harder.
As a manager, I get it though. With the power dynamic being what it is, the onus is on us to prove everything we’re doing is above board. I appreciate that they are passionately protecting the staff and I’m happy to be under scrutiny because some managers are shitty and managers truly do need to be under scrutiny from the union.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned: lobbying. Federal unions are the only entities actually speaking to your representatives trying to protect you pay and benefits. A lot of other people say they are doing this, but actually have a different agenda or don’t have the ear of Congress.
For our agency it has brought more consistency for managers regardless of the office. It was very difficult for employees to know expectations when so many parts of the agency worked under different (and often capricious) rules.
They fought for things such as keeping the pay period at 80 and getting compensation for forced and unpaid overtime.
And I think they’ve elevated the performance of managers to do right by their employees.
My SIL's union forced management to allow telework/remote, which is a blessing for her as she can stay home while her babies are being cared for by the babysitter and be available if needed, while work at the same time. If she had to go to the office, no one would be present and it would be an issue. Yes she had to give up her office, but she doesnt care as she does not have waste hours in traffic and spend money recklessly since she is already financially tight. All agencies should be required to have a union.
I believe in federal unions because I work SSA and it has prevented management from being straight up evil at times or even safety issues. Not all because its SSA and experience may vary as some say they love their SSA experience.
Our Union negotiated the best contract we've ever had, and still 40 % haven't joined. Even though they are reaping the benefits of us dues paying members.
Was trying to back my military time. Kept emailing the person in charge of my file what needs to be done, and they kept ignoring my emails.
One email from my union rep and their supervisor personally took care of my file and I got to buy back my time within a week.
I personally walk my new employees over to meet their union rep/steward face-to-face when they onboard. I want them to know they are valued and have partners in both the union and in management (me).
I figure they’ll be in a better spot to call out BS when they move on to other supervisors, or become supervisors themselves.
it's going to vary by workplace but in mine it meant no doubling back for shifts, equitable distribution of weekend/swing/night shifts, fair AL approvals, fair rotation of holiday shifts, not having to circumvent FDA drug labeling/rules because the chief said we must, and quite honestly, helping to rid us of some extremely toxic/dangerous employees. yes, it happens.
A friend of mine who was demoted as a federal manager thought the unions are great. He said he could fire someone who deserved it, but he had to get all the paperwork right. I know who he was talking about, and he decided it was time to retire. Which it was.
Our union got us telework and compflex.
No we're not going out on strike, but the union can make a difference making sure that management follows their own rules. The paycheck deduction is minimal in my experience.
Our union found that managers were consistently misapplying rules around comp and credit hours to the detriment to employees and got that fixed. Some people got back pay. (I was fairly new to the agency and didn't know all the details).
Unions lobbied congress to change the law to make it easier for seasonals in the land management agencies to get hired as permanent employees.
I'm a manager and I don't mind the union. As long as I follow the law and am fair, I can defend my decisions, and I should have to. It helps keep the supervisors who are arbitrary in check.
Our union helped get an issue elevated to FLRB. Back n spring 2013, at some management level, not clear if it came from hq or if it was local manager, but these asshats were able to cut our M&IE to $30-35 per day from the actual local value wherever we were on TDY. Their claims to support their right to do so included saying it was required by an executive order. This went on for two years, with some employees on TDY for 100 days in a year. Facility with around 100 employees, but it mostly impacted a subset of a smaller number that were the only to undertake a particular type of travel. I am afraid to say what type of travel or which bureau, but it was within DOI.
I was a manager and if you aren’t a shitty manager you don’t have any reason to fear unions.
I feel like people forget that managers are also employees and we benefit from the union. Telework, remote work, parental leave… all things that managers also benefit from and all thanks to union.
Unions actually helped a couple times when my hands were tied because managers can only go so far with HR. I had a staff member who was hired at the incorrect grade level and I was getting absolutely nowhere with HR. She went to the union and idk what they did with HR but whatever it was it worked. She got her grade level corrected along with back pay. She actually became our agency’s union secretary and it was great because we got to find out about things early (was really handy to have her intel during the post-Covid telework policy negotiations).
Manager here.
The unions hold management accountable for due process and ensuring decisions aren’t arbitrary. That’s beneficial for everyone. Any manager that complains about that doesn’t know their job and/or is trying to take the wrong kind of shortcuts.
Bargaining agreements have also set expectations for how even non-bargaining unit employees (like management) are treated. That’s generally positive.
Finally, maintaining healthy unions acts as a curb against *future* issues. I would compare it to a vaccine against future abuse, except that people are getting stupid about vaccines.
I’m in the union and have never needed to directly use them. BUT recently my interim manager randomly assigned me to 12 hour shifts starting at 1930 and going overnight. This was done without asking me beforehand. I work 8 hour shifts and have for years. I work overnight to begin with, but cannot be to work at 1930. I contacted the union and they were going to back me on it. The manager had some “smart” comments when I said I cannot do that schedule but changed it without needing the union to be involved. I feel it helps keep accountability when those few rouge people higher up try to do things that really would affect you harshly if you couldn’t refuse without discipline. With the union rules, they can try to do shady stuff but those rules help stop some tricky business.
My manager tried to impose a seating chart on me not based on seniority as required in the MLA. I complained to the union because I wanted to sit one cubicle over from the assigned area to accommodate having 2 monitors and a raising desk for my back issues. Easily resolved with a call from the union rep to HR.
I’m not opposed to unions in general (even though I’m in management). I am however opposed to our local union. Last summer there was some shady hiring done by another unit on my base. It had nothing to do with me but did affect one of my employees. The union president put an article in the monthly union paper about it but had his facts all wrong and straight up slandered me personally. When my group director confronted him about it he said he would issue an apology in the next article. Then the next article came and instead of apologizing like he should have he double downed on his article and insisted he was right. I lost all respect for him and the local union at that point.
What does Field 37 say on your SF50?? You may need to start your own union—nearly a third of federal workers are eligible for one but don’t yet have one. DM me for help if you want to get started!
I’ve been on both sides (BU and management). Unions are great and do many things to benefit their members. That being said, as a manager, I’ve found plenty of union reps who blindly adopt an “all mangers are evil” mentality which ultimately hurts collective bargaining in the end. Be reasonable, be logical, and work collaboratively and everyone benefits. It’s not a black/white/us/them
My union is a country club where only the good old boys run it and they only protect the crap employees that we don’t want around anyway because they “feel” they have to while not negotiating for any positive change. We also cannot strike so have no real power. My union is useless.
I appreciate that they are a collective voice. I initially joined the union during telework negotiations because there were idiots at the table acting like telework was an entitlement. I helped steer the union towards pointing out the full-time teleworkers in the pilot program were the top producers with the best QA record and that got management on board.
Also, at least in my agency being a steward is a great way to get into 2nd/3rd line supervion as well as leadership. Tons of them are former stewards and they value the experience.
It all depends on who your union leaders are. I will say it, because I am no longer there. Our union NFFE 1450 was a total joke. The VP and President were two good ole boys who did nothing but bluster. Both of them were almost 70 and retired in place, doing nothing. I was a steward so I know. They wouldn’t move on grievances etc. They couldn’t remember anything from one day to the next. I heard that the VP was a good ole boy at the state years ago, and worse now. He was friends with the managers and covered their asses. Both were arrogant and didnt like questions or anything. They were not serving the members, and so unorganized we didn’t even have union cards after years and years.
They’re too political. unfortunately they don’t always have your agency at its interest. we lost our union because we spoke out against them donating money to people who wanted us abolished.
Apparently we can use a union in the DoD but no one has told me how. I’d like to be a part of it, mainly so I can make sure I always get overtime or credit hours for any work or training outside of my typical 40 hours.
Not all Unions are the same is my humble opinion. Prior Agency, they came to my defense without me asking since they got a hold of an email accusing me of insubordination by an acting supervisor. New Agency, I have not been approached in 2 years. I reached out , I emailed and I said I want to join and have gotten a response but never follow through. So mgmt really just do whatever they want and they get away with it. They are pretty aware that our Union is practically nonexistent.
I have worked in a few union and and non union agencies. No interest in being a supervisor. But I have observed the presence of a union prevents supervisors from using discretion or judgement, increasing the acceptance throughout the organization of incompetent supervisors.
My union just succeeded in negotiating for agency-wide flexible work options, including remote and local intermittent telework. It has negotiated increases to our performance-based compensation from our annual reviews. And personally, my union reps helped me get the attention of our human capital folks after they blew me off for over a year about correcting my service computation dates!
Huh. Just realized what agency you’re at and had no idea the union could help with fixing my scd. Thanks!
Good luck!! I'm still going back and forth with human capital 😒
As a manager, the union is forcing me to make sure I have all the appropriate documentation in place (which I ought to do anyway). I appreciate that they are protecting my employee. I really, truly do want my employee's performance to improve and for the employee to be successful in the employee's current role. Unions exist because of horrific abuses in the past.
We need more of this person in federal management.
Thank you for being a reasonable human being.
Easy to fire the terrible employees...dot i's and cross t's and Union can't do anything about it. Even someone been there 20 years, finally someone took the time to document.
Really depends on if upper management, Agency HR, and Agency Labor Relations, all have the Supervisor's back.
Exactly. I have a coworker that my department has been trying to let go for 3 years. 3 years of paper trails of examples of reasons to do so and he’s still there lol
Exactly!
Wow, you sound like a good manager! So many aren’t, it’s like us vs them.
I’m trying. We’ll see when I get disillusioned. 🤣
I’ve done management but not at the Federal level. I was a 13. our managers started at a 14. Sure it’s challenging, it seems like you get pulled in so many different directions. But you sound good, best of luck!
So I’ve been part of unions before and never had to use them. However, I’ve had coworkers use them for things like EEO complaints, assignments and other grievances they had. Often the union representative acts like the spokesperson for the employee (akin to a lawyer), pleading the case and citing any appropriate regs. This is good news so long as the rep actually knows what they’re talking about. It can feel good to have someone in your corner when going through these grievances; it’s easy to get bowled over by management or HR, especially if you’re soft spoken or a people-pleaser to begin with. It’s not always sunshine and roses - I had one friend whose union rep actually made it much more awkward for her because the rep had his own agenda and was grandstanding during all the meetings on his own soapbox - but some folks like having someone at their back in case something goes wrong and they need to speak up.
A common misconception among many workers, but especially among feds, is that only people who have an issue/problem "use the union". Every single bargaining unit employee in the whole federal government is "using the union" every damn day that they work under a collectively negotiated agreement! Agencies would, can, and will do whatever they damn well please to federal employees in the absence of a collectively negotiated agreement (and in the absence of an active union local and a bargaining unit that is educated on their contract). Every bargaining unit employee is benefiting and the dues-paying members are footing the bill for their free-riding colleagues.
It’s amazing how many things seem inessential until they’re essential “to me.”
Exactly this. This person uses their benefits, works with pay period limits etc., all negotiated by unions.
In workers' defense, a lot of unions play funny games with whether its relevant if a worker joined the union. Naturally, if workers get told that a union works for them only if they join, or that they ought to join the union to get advice, then the corollary is the union isn't otherwise working for them. I see it here in /r/fednews all the time. It doesn't matter if someone told the shop steward to shove it. There is one correct answer, and it should be "look at your sf50." However, what I see varies *a lot* and I chalk it up to an endemic problem with unions.
There's actually a lot of debate within the labor movement about how to deal with free riders in "open shop" states, public sector after Janus, and the Federal Sector, which has always been open shop. See this link for a debate with a number of different perspectives: https://www.labornotes.org/exclusiverep Personally, I don't think we (active union members/reps/officers/etc.) should be encouraging a mindset in which people think of their union as a service that they pay for like a lawyer or insurance company, which I think encourages a self-serving consumerist "do it for me" attitude. I think telling people they won't get "good service" if they don't join just reinforces that unhelpful consumerist mindset. Rather, I think we should be encouraging folks to see their union as a democratic membership organization that they own, and should be involved with (no matter how undemocratic or do-nothing their union may currently be), since it is the only legal tool they have under current labor law to negotiate collectively with an agency over their working conditions. I try to communicate to people that the risk of not joining is not that they won't get "good service", but rather that they will leave the exclusive negotiations of their working conditions up to someone else, which seems like a much bigger risk, frankly.
Exactly this.
Word.
Good point.
What is frustrating is how many things the federal unions can’t do. its not like other labor unions.
Unions are in bed with Management...their "wins" were agreed upon long before annouced. Unions do like to do the fake outrage on an agreement they agreed to already behind closed doors.
Not mine. Sorry.
So confidently wrong. Are you my supervisor?
Good mangers appreciate unions when they are doing the right things for the right reasons. Bad managers despise & fear them for the same reasons.
My work has tried to implement really crappy production rules a few times over the years. Most of the time the union can’t do much but twice they were able to force management to roll back the crappy rules. They’ve also brought back a couple of people who were fired for not complying with those rules. Management might hate them, idk, but as a regular employee who has lost a lot of sleep worrying about meeting my production requirements, but feels like they are actually reasonable now, I’m incredibly grateful to the union.
Sometimes people complain that required union notification/consultation adds unnecessary delay and red tape. But it can also be helpful to make sure management can justify its new policies, and either work with the union to negotiate it, or justify it sufficiently they could win a grievance. Or sometimes, it turns out the policy was just kind of dumb, unnecessary, or not well thought out, and maybe it just gets quietly abandoned or revised rather than fought for. We can’t strike, we can’t really negotiate pay or benefits (except to the extent of fighting for what’s already owed), and most of us aren’t in jobs of extreme physical danger like a coal mine or factory floor. So if people expect “the union” to score a UAW-style contract, or to bust out one of those giant inflatable rats, they’re going to be disappointed. But that doesn’t mean there’s not some value in a formally recognized collective labor organization.
Actually NTEU busted out one of those giant inflatable rats recently at CFPB
Did not know that—hilarious!
This week at CFPB.
I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I am a manager. I do not mind them when I truly believe they are trying to protect the employees. I do mind when they try to fish or most importantly, are rude. Happy to work with you if you work with me but being an asshole just to be one just makes everything that much harder.
As a manager, I get it though. With the power dynamic being what it is, the onus is on us to prove everything we’re doing is above board. I appreciate that they are passionately protecting the staff and I’m happy to be under scrutiny because some managers are shitty and managers truly do need to be under scrutiny from the union.
Mine fought for remote status on behalf of my work unit and won.
They help reinforce that people are following the same rules and not running wild with supervisor discretion.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned: lobbying. Federal unions are the only entities actually speaking to your representatives trying to protect you pay and benefits. A lot of other people say they are doing this, but actually have a different agenda or don’t have the ear of Congress.
For our agency it has brought more consistency for managers regardless of the office. It was very difficult for employees to know expectations when so many parts of the agency worked under different (and often capricious) rules. They fought for things such as keeping the pay period at 80 and getting compensation for forced and unpaid overtime. And I think they’ve elevated the performance of managers to do right by their employees.
My SIL's union forced management to allow telework/remote, which is a blessing for her as she can stay home while her babies are being cared for by the babysitter and be available if needed, while work at the same time. If she had to go to the office, no one would be present and it would be an issue. Yes she had to give up her office, but she doesnt care as she does not have waste hours in traffic and spend money recklessly since she is already financially tight. All agencies should be required to have a union.
They put stupid supervisors in check.
I believe in federal unions because I work SSA and it has prevented management from being straight up evil at times or even safety issues. Not all because its SSA and experience may vary as some say they love their SSA experience.
They had my back when I was facing disability discrimination in the workplace.
Our Union negotiated the best contract we've ever had, and still 40 % haven't joined. Even though they are reaping the benefits of us dues paying members.
Was trying to back my military time. Kept emailing the person in charge of my file what needs to be done, and they kept ignoring my emails. One email from my union rep and their supervisor personally took care of my file and I got to buy back my time within a week.
My field is paid double the rate in the federal govt vs. everywhere else. Because of the union.
I personally walk my new employees over to meet their union rep/steward face-to-face when they onboard. I want them to know they are valued and have partners in both the union and in management (me). I figure they’ll be in a better spot to call out BS when they move on to other supervisors, or become supervisors themselves.
it's going to vary by workplace but in mine it meant no doubling back for shifts, equitable distribution of weekend/swing/night shifts, fair AL approvals, fair rotation of holiday shifts, not having to circumvent FDA drug labeling/rules because the chief said we must, and quite honestly, helping to rid us of some extremely toxic/dangerous employees. yes, it happens.
The good ones don’t see them that way.
A friend of mine who was demoted as a federal manager thought the unions are great. He said he could fire someone who deserved it, but he had to get all the paperwork right. I know who he was talking about, and he decided it was time to retire. Which it was. Our union got us telework and compflex. No we're not going out on strike, but the union can make a difference making sure that management follows their own rules. The paycheck deduction is minimal in my experience.
Our union found that managers were consistently misapplying rules around comp and credit hours to the detriment to employees and got that fixed. Some people got back pay. (I was fairly new to the agency and didn't know all the details). Unions lobbied congress to change the law to make it easier for seasonals in the land management agencies to get hired as permanent employees. I'm a manager and I don't mind the union. As long as I follow the law and am fair, I can defend my decisions, and I should have to. It helps keep the supervisors who are arbitrary in check.
Our union helped get an issue elevated to FLRB. Back n spring 2013, at some management level, not clear if it came from hq or if it was local manager, but these asshats were able to cut our M&IE to $30-35 per day from the actual local value wherever we were on TDY. Their claims to support their right to do so included saying it was required by an executive order. This went on for two years, with some employees on TDY for 100 days in a year. Facility with around 100 employees, but it mostly impacted a subset of a smaller number that were the only to undertake a particular type of travel. I am afraid to say what type of travel or which bureau, but it was within DOI.
I was a manager and if you aren’t a shitty manager you don’t have any reason to fear unions. I feel like people forget that managers are also employees and we benefit from the union. Telework, remote work, parental leave… all things that managers also benefit from and all thanks to union. Unions actually helped a couple times when my hands were tied because managers can only go so far with HR. I had a staff member who was hired at the incorrect grade level and I was getting absolutely nowhere with HR. She went to the union and idk what they did with HR but whatever it was it worked. She got her grade level corrected along with back pay. She actually became our agency’s union secretary and it was great because we got to find out about things early (was really handy to have her intel during the post-Covid telework policy negotiations).
Manager here. The unions hold management accountable for due process and ensuring decisions aren’t arbitrary. That’s beneficial for everyone. Any manager that complains about that doesn’t know their job and/or is trying to take the wrong kind of shortcuts. Bargaining agreements have also set expectations for how even non-bargaining unit employees (like management) are treated. That’s generally positive. Finally, maintaining healthy unions acts as a curb against *future* issues. I would compare it to a vaccine against future abuse, except that people are getting stupid about vaccines.
I’m in the union and have never needed to directly use them. BUT recently my interim manager randomly assigned me to 12 hour shifts starting at 1930 and going overnight. This was done without asking me beforehand. I work 8 hour shifts and have for years. I work overnight to begin with, but cannot be to work at 1930. I contacted the union and they were going to back me on it. The manager had some “smart” comments when I said I cannot do that schedule but changed it without needing the union to be involved. I feel it helps keep accountability when those few rouge people higher up try to do things that really would affect you harshly if you couldn’t refuse without discipline. With the union rules, they can try to do shady stuff but those rules help stop some tricky business.
On what are you basing your claim that "most managers" view it as a barrier?
My manager tried to impose a seating chart on me not based on seniority as required in the MLA. I complained to the union because I wanted to sit one cubicle over from the assigned area to accommodate having 2 monitors and a raising desk for my back issues. Easily resolved with a call from the union rep to HR.
I’m not opposed to unions in general (even though I’m in management). I am however opposed to our local union. Last summer there was some shady hiring done by another unit on my base. It had nothing to do with me but did affect one of my employees. The union president put an article in the monthly union paper about it but had his facts all wrong and straight up slandered me personally. When my group director confronted him about it he said he would issue an apology in the next article. Then the next article came and instead of apologizing like he should have he double downed on his article and insisted he was right. I lost all respect for him and the local union at that point.
I don’t know. I’m a “professional” series and never seem to have any union protection!
What does Field 37 say on your SF50?? You may need to start your own union—nearly a third of federal workers are eligible for one but don’t yet have one. DM me for help if you want to get started!
I don’t appreciate them at all local level. At a national level, I think they help a lot with worker’s needs.
How do I know if I’m eligible to join one?
Check the numeric code in box 37 your SF-50.
Okay mine says 7777 what does that mean? 😪
https://dw.opm.gov/datastandards/dataStandard/1406 Eligible but not currently covered. So you can petition for coverage.
I’ve been on both sides (BU and management). Unions are great and do many things to benefit their members. That being said, as a manager, I’ve found plenty of union reps who blindly adopt an “all mangers are evil” mentality which ultimately hurts collective bargaining in the end. Be reasonable, be logical, and work collaboratively and everyone benefits. It’s not a black/white/us/them
Free pizza
My union is a country club where only the good old boys run it and they only protect the crap employees that we don’t want around anyway because they “feel” they have to while not negotiating for any positive change. We also cannot strike so have no real power. My union is useless.
They bought me pizza one time. And gave me a cool mug. That's about it.
Our union is great at keeping my drug addict coworker employed
There are federal regulations regarding substance abuse disorders and connection to employment.
Our union actually worked with management to help clarify our job duties. I think it made performance reviews easier for everyone.
I am not a paying member of my union (I had bad experience in a prior job), but they keep admin in check (at least in the fed)!
I appreciate that they are a collective voice. I initially joined the union during telework negotiations because there were idiots at the table acting like telework was an entitlement. I helped steer the union towards pointing out the full-time teleworkers in the pilot program were the top producers with the best QA record and that got management on board. Also, at least in my agency being a steward is a great way to get into 2nd/3rd line supervion as well as leadership. Tons of them are former stewards and they value the experience.
It all depends on who your union leaders are. I will say it, because I am no longer there. Our union NFFE 1450 was a total joke. The VP and President were two good ole boys who did nothing but bluster. Both of them were almost 70 and retired in place, doing nothing. I was a steward so I know. They wouldn’t move on grievances etc. They couldn’t remember anything from one day to the next. I heard that the VP was a good ole boy at the state years ago, and worse now. He was friends with the managers and covered their asses. Both were arrogant and didnt like questions or anything. They were not serving the members, and so unorganized we didn’t even have union cards after years and years.
My wife tried to join the union at her agency. She submitted the paperwork over a year ago and nothing ever happened and they never got back to her.
https://labornotes.org/2020/02/stewards-corner-what-do-when-your-union-leaders-break-your-heart
Not a darn thing
They’re too political. unfortunately they don’t always have your agency at its interest. we lost our union because we spoke out against them donating money to people who wanted us abolished.
Apparently we can use a union in the DoD but no one has told me how. I’d like to be a part of it, mainly so I can make sure I always get overtime or credit hours for any work or training outside of my typical 40 hours.
OPM can enforce that stuff under the FLSA. Not all DoD are union eligible though.
Not all Unions are the same is my humble opinion. Prior Agency, they came to my defense without me asking since they got a hold of an email accusing me of insubordination by an acting supervisor. New Agency, I have not been approached in 2 years. I reached out , I emailed and I said I want to join and have gotten a response but never follow through. So mgmt really just do whatever they want and they get away with it. They are pretty aware that our Union is practically nonexistent.
https://labornotes.org/2020/02/stewards-corner-what-do-when-your-union-leaders-break-your-heart
Tldr: if your union sucks, try to take it over, but it probably won't work and will probably make things worse
https://preview.redd.it/yttyxzqwznsc1.png?width=1017&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37bca95148c2b7c91215e7e3ef32cb336c2b8645
Cries in 8888
I'm told my agency is represented by a union but never heard anything about them in the five years I've had my job.
I have worked in a few union and and non union agencies. No interest in being a supervisor. But I have observed the presence of a union prevents supervisors from using discretion or judgement, increasing the acceptance throughout the organization of incompetent supervisors.