Washington, D.C.—Late in the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 29, President Donald Trump quietly disbanded
the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations, an advisory panel created in 2009 to enable federal agencies to work with employees and their unions to resolve problems and improve services. The move did not surprise federal workers’ unions. “The Trump administration never displayed any interest in continuing the Labor-Management Council, and it remains ignorant of the benefits and successes of its past engagements,” National Federation of Federal Employees President Randy Erwin told Federal News Radio. The decision is particularly damaging, said American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox, because federal workers have had to take on increased responsibilities as many top positions remain unfilled. “This is an ominous sign for the future of federal labor-management relations,” National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon said in a statement. “For an administration that is trying to reduce operational costs and make agencies run more efficiently, to state that it is too time-consuming and costly to meet with its own employees is self-defeating.” Several agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, will continue similar meetings with union chapters on their own. Read more
