Two months after the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott began, the United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) met with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and formed a lasting partnership between the labor movement and the civil rights movement. The new Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led by King pledged to help organize southern meatpacking plants, while the UPWA pledged to financially support civil rights campaigns. But it soon became clear that the partnership would go beyond this scope. 

When the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) accused the UPWA of having Communist ties, King reached out to the UPWA, helped it comply with AFL-CIO ethical practice codes, and co-authored a response to the HUAC accusations. “It is tragic indeed that some of our reactionary brothers in America will go to the limit of giving Communism credit for all good things that happen in our nation.” King wrote in a SCLC press release. King considered the struggle for labor rights and civil rights intertwined. He spoke often at union halls claiming that “for it is axiomatic that what Labor needs, Negroes need...” The 1963 March on Washington where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech was also co-organized by labor leaders such as Walter Reuther, then president of the United Auto Workers (UAW).

King also had criticisms about some in the labor movement at the time. In a 1961 speech at the AFL-CIO Fourth Constitutional Convention, he bluntly called out their refusal to integrate southern locals, enforcement of discriminatory practices in the workplace, and their censure of prominent African-American labor organizer, A. Philip Randolph. However, King never cut ties with the labor movement despite his reservations. Even when he criticized labor unions, he highlighted that the coalition between the labor movement and the civil rights movement was not a preference, but an absolute necessity. As time went on, more of the labor movement heeded King’s words. In 1967, King praised the Teamsters for their racial integration efforts without the need for court orders or pressure. As of 2021, about two-thirds of bargaining unit employees are now women and/or people of color. While there are continuing discussions on the treatment of minorities within the rank & file, the statistics justify King’s faith in the labor movement as a champion for civil rights.

King included labor leaders in his further initiatives such as the Poor People’s Campaign and continued to speak to labor unions to his dying day. King not only stayed firm in his beliefs in the labor-civil rights movement coalition, but he also painted a bright future for America as a call to action. On April 3, 1968, the day before his assassination, he addressed the African-American sanitation workers of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733, closing with the following words:

The doctor recommended at least 18 weeks to recover from childbirth. The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) gave her 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave. To supplement the parental leave, Jane (whose name was changed for this article) requested 6 weeks of advanced sick leave. After all, she wanted to make sure she recovered fully so that both she and her newborn would receive the best care. Management denied her request, saying she was too mission-critical for her to be gone that long. When she wanted to discuss a solution to this issue, Management only suggested filing a grievance and declined any further discussion on the matter.

The grievance process could take months, and she was 38 weeks pregnant. Management knew that the grievance process could take months, they were fully aware of her pregnancy, and still they closed the door on her. Left with no other options, she decided to go to the office of IFPTE Local 98. Union leadership called for an emergency meeting at lunch on the same day to discuss this issue. Despite the short notice, the conference room was filled with union members. Jane explained the situation to her fellow union members in tears, fearing the financial stress that would compound the stresses of physical recovery and caring for a newborn.

Pregnancy and childbirth cause some of the most demanding physical and psychological changes, and parents are expected to endure a recovery period with pain, sleep deprivation, fatigue, and exacerbation of mental health disorders. The muscles in a human body postpartum will not be restored to pre-pregnant physiology until at least 6 months after childbirth. While FEPLA provides a well-appreciated safety net for new parents, the science states that parents should be allowed more leave for recovery and for infant development. Still, Jane only requested 18 weeks, not 6 months, partially with her own accrued leave.

Moved by this story, the Union membership resolved to confront management immediately about the disenfranchisement of a pregnant worker. But instead of filing a grievance as management suggested, the Union chose to use direct action. The Union wrote their demands on the conference room whiteboard, spread the word to the rest of the office, and presented Management with a signed petition all on that same day. The following morning, Management entered a lengthy meeting, concluding with a decision to grant her a combined 18 weeks of postpartum leave, just as the doctor ordered.

Thanks to IFPTE Local 98’s active members, recent expansion of union leadership, and plenty of
experience in direct action initiatives, Jane’s story reached the farthest edges of the district and spurred the bargaining unit into action. While the grievance process is an important tool for unions, Local 98 recognized early on that their best tool was the collective power of the bargaining unit. All federal employees have a legal right to assist a union without fear of retaliation (whether they are members or not) as enshrined in Title V of the United States Code §7102. Solidarity is what delivered Jane’s sick leave, and if all workers exercise their right to stand up for their peers, we may be able to weather any storms lie ahead. IFPTE wishes Jane a well-deserved recovery where the focus will be on her family and her family alone.

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is a biennial bill that among other things, establishes policy for USACE. Because of this, it is a relevant way for USACE workers to influence USACE personnel policy.

A right of employees under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS), codified at 5 U.S.C. 7102, is to "to present the views of the labor organization to ... the Congress..." IFPTE ACE Council locals utilized this right to present the issue of remote operations of USACE locks and dams to many members of Congress. Since this work occurred prior to any actual bill language being proposed by a member of Congress, it is considered "advocacy" as opposed to "lobbying."

U.S. Representative Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) submitted IFPTE-drafted language, and it was incorporated into the House WRDA bill as Section 1149. This language was included in the conference bill agreed to by the House and Senate; and the conference bill was passed by Congress on December 18th.

This language protects the jobs of USACE lock and dam operators in the future with respect to automation of the facilities. It does not prohibit USACE from installing the technical upgrades, but they must meet certain criteria and justify the action. It further would require a public process that "includes engagement with ... personnel" which will give the employees a chance to voice their opinions.

One of the most fundamental elements of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute is the section on employee rights enumerated at 5 U.S.C. 7102. These rights include, among other things, the right to "form, join, or assist any labor organization, or to refrain from any such activity, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal..." Assisting a labor organization can take many forms, but the law does not restrict it to negotiations or representation in investigations.

Indeed, the law continues and provides another category of protected activity: "to present the views of the labor organization to heads of agencies and other officials of the executive branch of the Government..."

​This means that all bargaining unit employees, regardless of union membership status, are legally protected in collective problem-solving, and then through the union, taking those solutions to management. This right is not unique to any particular collectively bargained union contract - it's established in law!

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has announced that Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) insurance premiums will be increasing 13.5% on average across all plans. OPM stated that this increase--its highest in over a decade--is due to price increases, expanded coverage of prescription drugs, and behavioral health spending. Paired with the White House’s meager proposed pay raise of only 2% for 2025, these FEHB premium increases will likely lead to less coverage for any federal workers forced to choose between certain healthcare expenses and so many other inflated costs of living.

There are currently two initiatives by lawmakers that would, if passed, alleviate the problem:

1. Passing The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act This would provide a 7.4% pay increase in 2025 for federal employees. The bill was introduced in the Senate early this year and was referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC, often pronounced hiz-gak). HSGAC is the Senate committee responsible for handling most federal worker issues, so it’s worth knowing who is on it and to develop relationships with their offices, if possible. The equivalent committee in the House of Representatives is the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
2. Accelerating The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 The act is famous for a provision that allows the federal government to negotiate drug prices under Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this provision would lead to savings for FEHB as well as Medicare. These savings would take away reasons for the FEHB premium increase, but the negotiated drug prices won’t go into effect until 2026 at the earliest. There are some lawmakers who are pushing to accelerate this timeline.

In the meantime, please note that the open season for the FEHB program has begun and will run until 9 DEC.

To quote General Graham: “If we always keep our focus on taking care of these great people (on taking care of you), everything else follows.” Whichever USACE office you happen to work in, your local’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) likely has language that can help make sure that you’re taken care of. Being able to negotiate good contract language on safety in the workplace helped Local 777 (representing USACE Chicago District employees) push for training for their environmental and geotechnical engineers.

​Local 777 negotiated language that encouraged workers to cease work and request alternative duties when unsafe conditions are encountered. This language helped to strengthen the union’s position when protecting Chicago District engineers who were asked by management to work at superfund sites without the proper training and PPE. Being able to point to this paragraph led to a temporary stoppage of those work duties and brought the seriousness of the working conditions to management’s attention – making the training of these workers a priority. If you’d like to know about any negotiated language related to your safety, ask your local steward or any other union representative for a copy of your CBA.

A process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers.

The interests of the employees are commonly represented by elected leaders of one or more unions made up of dues-paying members.

A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reached by these negotiations functions as a binding contract between the employer and the union(s), and typically establishes terms regarding wage scales, working hours, training, health and safety, overtime, grievance procedures, payroll deductions for dues, and rights to participate in workplace or company affairs.

Donald Trump has been elected president for a second time, and his incoming administration will be supported by a House and Senate controlled by Republicans and a conservative-majority Supreme Court. While we cannot say for certain what the next Trump administration will hold, we can reasonably expect that he will push forward policies that would reduce protections for federal workers by fundamentally changing the institutions that protect us. This is based on his actions during his first term, promises made during the recent campaign, and his association with Project 2025 and its architects. For example, here are some initiatives that have been pushed by Trump and his allies since 2016:

• Strip DoD unions of their right to collectively bargain, as previously attempted by Trump in 2020 (FR Doc. 2020–03578).
• Reclassify large amounts of federal workers under Schedule F, making them vulnerable to firing without cause, as previously attempted by Trump through Executive Order 13957 in 2020.
• Force so-called Return-to-Work policies. Two proposed bills have recently been introduced: S. 4834 and H.R. 10014.

Stripping our DoD unions of their collective bargaining rights would eliminate contracts enshrining protections and benefits that federal employees have fought long and hard for. These contracts make our jobs safer and gives us a voice in the workplace, so that we can focus on the task at hand: delivering our programs for the public. Schedule F would eliminate the current due process that holds our bosses accountable when they choose to remove a fellow worker. Your boss’s bad day could turn to catastrophe for you and your family faster than ever. As a result of forcing employees back into the office, remote workers may be forced to relocate (themselves and their families) across the country (or resign). Workers who telework regularly will have to reorganize their lives, while those who have the option to telework situationally will lose a significant source of flexibility.

IFPTE and its locals are prepared to use institutions such as the courts, the FLRA, and the MSPB to counter these actions as they have always done to fight for the wellbeing of the federal worker and ultimately for the wellbeing of our fellow Americans. However, with Donald Trump and his allies in control of all branches of government, it is likely that they will limit or remove the ability of these institutions to protect us. Furthermore, we can expect them to begin decertifying federal sector union locals altogether. Federal workers were a prime target for scapegoating during the last Trump administration.
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While this paints a bleak picture of the future of federal sector labor, it is important to remember that federal unions have been around for more than a century and have faced many setbacks in that time. Federal Sector Locals have previously been under attack when Nixon tried to use Schedule F reclassifications to install political allies in agencies. During his presidency, Ronald Reagan broke a strike and jailed union organizers. When the institutions failed unions in the past, unions survived through solidarity and collective action. To survive another Trump presidency, we must do the same now.

To our fellow USACE employees (and allies),

BLUF:
If you're interested in attending an after-hours meeting of USACE workers on next steps after the election, register here. The meeting will be over Zoom tomorrow (Thursday) evening starting at 8:30pm Eastern / 7:30pm Central / 5:30pm Pacific.

It's fair to assume that many of you have questions about the election's implications for Federal-sector workers and want to better understand the challenges and opportunities ahead, as we continue to fight together for better working conditions and for a better government. In that spirit, the ACE Council Communications Committee will hold a meeting tomorrow to share what we know about the work that we have ahead of us and to answer questions that you may have. Please sign up here and encourage your coworkers to sign up as well! Also feel free to forward to other Federal-sector workers who might be interested.