February 27, 2004

To: All Members of Congress

We, the undersigned representatives of unions representing federal employees within the Department of Defense (DOD), express our strongest possible objections to the proposals outlined by DOD officials today.

We have been presented with a series of concepts, resting on seriously deficient rationales, that would effectively reduce the federal civilian workforce to one serving totally at the whim of the Secretary of Defense. Even under the most benign imaginable conditions, this would be an unacceptable proposal.

First and foremost, the entire approach DOD has outlined contradicts the explicit instructions from Congress that any new procedures implemented under the Act must honor the rights of workers under Chapter 71 unless there is an overriding and must demonstrably be necessary for national security. Instead, we see nothing more than a demand for blanket and unilateral exemptions from any meaningful obligations beyond perfunctory "consultation" to work with employees and the representatives of their choosing, with no more justification than "because we say so."
Moreover, DOD has failed to comply with the congressional instruction that this new system should be developed jointly with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We understand that OPM has played no substantive role in the plan.

Furthermore, it is evident that these proposals would destroy more than a century of positive relationships between employees and management that have been built on shared trust in the objectivity, integrity and mutual dedication to the mission of the Department of Defense by the civilian workforce.

What we see in these proposals is an underlying contempt for workers and their representatives.

Finally, we cannot and will not accept verbal assurances that DOD will address--at some future date and in some vague way--our expressed concerns over the absence of legitimate employee appeals procedures including expressly the elimination of the grievance-arbitration process.

Regardless of the mission of a federal agency, there can be no justification for subjugating the fundamental rights and freedoms of an entire class of workers and substituting the unilateral authority of a cabinet secretary in place of sound and proven dialogue between management and workers.

It may at times be inconvenient, or even unpleasant to recognize workers rights. But, these rights exist and they are vital! It is not DOD's prerogative to destroy them and we cannot abide by the wholesale destruction which DOD proposes.

We call upon Congress to inform DOD that this proposal is contrary to congressional intent and should be withdrawn.

Signed:

Ronald Ault Metal Trades Department (AFL-CIO)
John Barry IUOE
Tom Bastas ACT
Gil Bateman IBEW
Rick Blea UA
Travis Brock United Power Trades
Rick Brown NFFE
Don Buchanan SMWIA
Becky Buchele NAGI
Frank Carelli IAMAW
Randi Cisazewski MEBA & MMP
Dale Dandrea NAGE
Kelly Dull AFGE-DFAS
Joe A. Gonzales AFGE (Army Depot)
Robbie Ataham-Exley LIUNA
Susan Grundmann NFFE
Don Hale AFGE DEFCON
Jim Hewitt LIUNA
Jim Johnson IAFF
Clark King IFPTE
*Deborah Kleinberg Seafarers International Union AGLIWD/NMU
Steve Lenkart NAGE
(Ck Spelling) Jerry Surrey SEIU
Claud Leinbach United Power Trades
Maryanne Lewis NAGE
Tom Maahs DCMA/AFGE Council 170
Pat Mason AFGE
Rocky Morrill AFGE (Navy)
Matt Morrison AFT
H.T. Nguyen FEA/NEA
Susanne Pooler-Johnson NAGE
James Price IAMAW
Robert D. Purcell LIUNA
George L. Reaves NAIL
Brent Reynolds AFGE
Mark Roth AFGE
Dale B. Schafer C240-AFGE
Dan Schember ACT
Jim Seidl Metal Trades Dept.
Michael Sheehan NAGE
*Sarah Starrett MEBA
Richard Tarr FEA
Ben Toyama IFPTE
Patty Viers AFGE DLA
Keith Wagner Heat and Frost Insulators
Tony Walencik Ironworkers Intnl
Bob West NAAE
Tracy J. Brock for Mark Matoamoto Hawaii Defense Comm. Council
Bill McDevitt Painters and Allied Trades