Unions
Here's a look at documents from unions
Featured Stories
Mid-Continent Public Library Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join CWA, Forming Missouri's Largest Library Union
WASHINGTON, May 27 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Communications Workers of America posted the following news release:
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Mid-Continent Public Library Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join CWA, Forming Missouri's Largest Library Union
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Nearly 700 library workers vote to join Communications Workers of America Local 6360 in Kansas City
Kansas City, Mo. - Workers at the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) -one of the largest public library systems in the United States -have won their union election in a landslide, voting 436 to 164 to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 27 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Communications Workers of America posted the following news release:
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Mid-Continent Public Library Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join CWA, Forming Missouri's Largest Library Union
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Nearly 700 library workers vote to join Communications Workers of America Local 6360 in Kansas City
Kansas City, Mo. - Workers at the Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) -one of the largest public library systems in the United States -have won their union election in a landslide, voting 436 to 164 to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local6360. Their union election win comes amid a wave of library and public-sector organizing across the country and adds nearly 700 workers to CWA's growing public-sector membership.
"We are the heart and soul of the library," said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Platte City Library Center Programming Associate Jennie Broyles. "With this victory, we will now have the rights, protections, and tools needed to provide our communities with the best library service in the country."
The Mid-Continent Public Library covers three counties across the Kansas City metropolitan area, serving more than 880,000 residents. The new bargaining unit represents nearly 700 part-time and full-time librarians, early literacy associates, information technology staff, delivery services staff, and other employees who keep the library system running.
"We love the work we do, but for too long, we have been left out of key decisions. This win means we finally have a real voice to build a fairer workplace," said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Colbern Road Library Center CSA Jordan Noland. "An overwhelming majority like this leaves absolutely no room for doubt. I'm so incredibly proud of everyone for standing strong together, and we're ready to carry this exact energy to the bargaining table."
In March, workers gathered at the North Independence Branch to announce that more than 60% of union-eligible employees had signed a public declaration of support. Library workers say the union will give them a stronger voice in decisions that shape services, staffing, safety, and access across the system.
"From everyone that was there in the beginning four years ago to those that started supporting this week, we couldn't have done it without each and every one of us," said MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 member and MCPL Green Hills Early Literacy Associate Kelli Mulligan Lindsey. "Together we can do anything, and together we can continue to make the library a place for everyone in our community."
MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 will now work toward bargaining a first union contract. Workers say their priorities include addressing chronic understaffing, raising wages for the lowest-paid library staff, ensuring safety on the job, and making sure decisions at MCPL reflect the expertise of the people who serve the community every day.
"This is an incredible victory for MCPL workers, who demonstrated the power working-class people have when they unite to build real power on the job," said CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase. "This victory will inspire workers across our District as we organize to build the working-class movement so urgently needed to meet this moment in our country."
For union updates, follow MCPL Workers United-CWA Local 6360 on Instagram and Facebook.
About CWA
The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.
cwa-union.org @cwaunion
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Original text here: https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/mid-continent-public-library-workers-vote-overwhelmingly-join-cwa-forming-missouris
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses 4 New Mexico Incumbents for Reelection to Congress
WASHINGTON, May 27 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses 4 New Mexico Incumbents for Reelection to Congress
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AFGE says New Mexico's congressional delegation has stood with AFGE to defend federal collective bargaining
KILLEEN, Texas - The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsements of Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Gabe Vasquez, and Teresa Leger Fernandez for reelection to Congress representing New Mexico in the 2026 elections.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 27 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses 4 New Mexico Incumbents for Reelection to Congress
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AFGE says New Mexico's congressional delegation has stood with AFGE to defend federal collective bargaining
KILLEEN, Texas - The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsements of Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Gabe Vasquez, and Teresa Leger Fernandez for reelection to Congress representing New Mexico in the 2026 elections.The statewide primary is June 2, and the general election is Nov. 3.
Ben Ray Lujan was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 after serving in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2021. Melanie Stansbury was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020, representing the 1st Congressional District. Gabe Vasquez was first elected to the U.S. House in 2022, representing the 2nd Congressional District. Teresa Leger Fernandez was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020, representing the 3rd Congressional District seat previously held by Lujan.
"The Trump administration has spent the last year trying to strip federal workers of our voice at work, tearing up contracts, gutting our right to negotiate, and going after the public servants who keep this country running," AFGE District 10 National Vice President Cheryl Eliano said.
"Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Gabe Vasquez, and Teresa Leger Fernandez have refused to let that stand. They've stood with AFGE in the fight to defend federal collective bargaining rights, spoken out against the attacks, and pushed back every time this Administration has come after our jobs and our dignity. New Mexico's federal workers know who has our backs, and AFGE is proud to endorse all four for reelection."
More than 44,000 federal employees live in New Mexico - caring for veterans, supporting the military, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents more than 136,000 federal employees in District 10, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Panama, and Texas.
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/ec05f71e9bd54b66af484a5908616245.aspx
'Devices Down, Eyes Up, Hands-On': Weingarten Calls for Screen Bans, AI Limits, Active Learning, in Major National Education Address
WASHINGTON, May 27 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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'Devices Down, Eyes Up, Hands-On': Weingarten Calls for Screen Bans, AI Limits, Active Learning, in Major National Education Address
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AFT President Randi Weingarten delivered a landmark address at the National Press Club today, unveiling a bold new vision for America's public schools that reins in screens and artificial intelligence, enhances teaching and learning, and provides all students with a strong foundation for their future.
In her speech, " Devices Down,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 27 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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'Devices Down, Eyes Up, Hands-On': Weingarten Calls for Screen Bans, AI Limits, Active Learning, in Major National Education Address
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AFT President Randi Weingarten delivered a landmark address at the National Press Club today, unveiling a bold new vision for America's public schools that reins in screens and artificial intelligence, enhances teaching and learning, and provides all students with a strong foundation for their future.
In her speech, " Devices Down,Eyes Up, Hands-On: 10 Points to Boost Teaching and Learning in the AI Era," the longtime leader of the 1.8 million-member union rolled out a first-of-its-kind action plan focused on the importance of hands-on learning and knowledge application amid the seismic technological shifts rattling the nation's classrooms.
She called for a screen ban, including online assessments, for students in pre-K through second grade. And she demanded an immediate end to student-facing AI in elementary schools, as well as a total ban for students under 16 on so-called "social companion" chatbots that simulate human relationships.
"We are at a crossroads that will define the future of work and society. Without proper oversight and strong guardrails, there will be real dangers to our safety, privacy, climate and the very fabric of society."
Weingarten added that she is "not calling for a total ban on AI or a Chromebook bonfire," but "what I am calling for," she said, "is getting the balance right to harness the benefits of technology while mitigating the harms."
In fact, the ubiquity of AI makes the essence of education-developing students' knowledge and critical-thinking skills-more important, not less, even as "cognitive offloading" runs rampant: "When so much information is just a prompt away, acquiring trustworthy knowledge is just the first step. To be useful, that knowledge must be applied.... To really prepare young people for complex challenges, our true goal is to have students who can work together and problem solve."
Weingarten's 10-point plan draws on cutting-edge research, classroom best practices, and thousands of one-on-one discussions with educators, students, employers and families. "One thing the AI revolution does not change," Weingarten said, "is the essential purpose of education: teaching students how to think and giving them enough knowledge to do it well."
In addition to the tech mandates, Weingarten called for:
* A redesign of schooling so active learning, including project-based, experiential and career-connected learning, is the norm across all grade levels. That means redesigning accountability, as well.
* A commitment for students to have a solid foundation in literacy, numeracy and civic engagement.
* A focus on well-being, so that students and their families have their basic needs met and are prepared to learn.
* Protections for intellectual property and academic freedom, and support for educators to understand, effectively use and make classroom-based decisions about technology integration, within the bounds of informed state and local policies and guardrails.
* A new "gold standard" for safety and privacy for the use of AI in schools.
* An independent research consortium to guide scalable and sustainable education practices. Research should include the effects of AI, screens and technology on students, and should not be paid for by the industries whose products are being researched.
* Adequate funding of education by states and the federal government. This means reversing the trend of disinvestment since the Great Recession and targeting funding to level the playing field and promote opportunity for all students. It also means not letting AI and vouchers further defund public education.
* A "tech tax" on Big Tech's earnings and on some business operations, to ensure they pay their fair share for the adverse and disruptive consequences of this technology to American families, such as workers being displaced by AI.
At a moment when the Trump administration is actively working to hand public schools over to Big Tech and private operators through unaccountable voucher schemes, while trying to limit what students can learn, Weingarten's competing vision is rooted in human relationships, democracy, the judgment of trained educators, and schools that serve all children, not just some.
Weingarten pointedly called on Democrats to embrace her big-picture vision for public education, calling too many "frankly AWOL" on an issue that voters care deeply about.
"Democrats have been and still are among the strongest advocates of strengthening public education," she said. "But too few Democratic leaders speak clearly about the fundamental importance of public education as a national priority. And too many want to resurrect the failures of high-stakes testing, are pushing privatization or are frankly AWOL from efforts to make the public schools, which 90 percent of American children attend, the very best they can be."
Part of that challenge means taking a clear-eyed look at what today's tech-heavy environment means for teaching and learning in classrooms. It is insufficient to call for new restrictions on screens and AI without championing a positive, alternative blueprint for public schools that can be rolled out in every state and district around the country.
"We need a relentless, intentional focus on what our young people need: greater literacy, numeracy and civic engagement, and active learning that excites and engages them-all while ensuring their social and mental well-being and ability to form healthy relationships. Devices down, eyes up, hands-on."
Weingarten ended on an optimistic note as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday:
"America's teachers-as they always have-are doing noble work; they're showing up every day to help young people realize their potential and build our collective future. Today's students will be the ones who heal, help and lead us. They will be the environmental stewards, the innovators, the artists, the first responders and the teachers of tomorrow.
"The other side is trying to exploit the current crisis to destroy public education and pluralism as we know it. We have a different vision: to revitalize and reimagine public schools so every one of our students can harness their future and build the country they dream of."
Weingarten's full speech can be watched back here.
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Original text here: https://www.aft.org/press-release/devices-down-eyes-hands-weingarten-calls-screen-bans-ai-limits-active-learning-major
Teamsters Extend Picket Lines to Additional Breakthru Beverage Facilities
WASHINGTON, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters Extend Picket Lines to Additional Breakthru Beverage Facilities
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Press Contact: Maura Drumm Phone: (215) 510-3735 Email: mdrumm@teamster.org
(WASHINGTON) - Teamsters at Breakthru Beverage in Cicero, Ill. and St. Louis extended their unfair labor practice (ULP) strike to company operations in Kansas City, Mo., and Champaign, Ill. Teamsters at the Kansas City and Champaign locations exercised their individual legal and contractual right to refuse to cross the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters Extend Picket Lines to Additional Breakthru Beverage Facilities
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Press Contact: Maura Drumm Phone: (215) 510-3735 Email: mdrumm@teamster.org
(WASHINGTON) - Teamsters at Breakthru Beverage in Cicero, Ill. and St. Louis extended their unfair labor practice (ULP) strike to company operations in Kansas City, Mo., and Champaign, Ill. Teamsters at the Kansas City and Champaign locations exercised their individual legal and contractual right to refuse to cross theextended line. Teamsters nationwide with similar contractual picket line protections remain on standby.
Over 215 drivers and warehouse workers were forced onto the picket line over the company's numerous ULPs. Members of Teamsters Locals 600, 688, and 710 are demanding the company come to the table to negotiate a fair contract without regressive proposals, surface bargaining, and unilateral changes to the status quo.
"Breakthru Beverage has been illegally trying to diminish our members' power at the bargaining table," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "They know the strength of our union when members act on their right as Teamsters -guaranteed in their collective bargaining agreement -to honor picket lines in solidarity with their brothers and sisters. We are here to hold Breakthru accountable for their unlawful behavior. The 1.3-million member Teamsters Union will continue to stand in solidarity with all Breakthru Teamsters until a fair agreement is reached."
Management is demanding that workers waive their lawful right to not cross or work behind a Teamsters picket line at their respective locations. But the Teamsters refuse to bargain away hard-fought contractual rights.
"The company has been lying to workers and using scare tactics to try to get our members to cross these picket lines," said Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference. "Breakthru Teamsters' solidarity is strong and these extended picket lines show that management has failed to intimidate us. It is time for Breakthru to come back to the table and negotiate a fair deal. It's up to management when this strike ends."
"We just want a deal that protects all our rights as Teamsters," said Tony Ortiz, a driver at Breakthru Beverage and member of Local 710 in Mokena, Ill. "The support of our brothers and sisters at other Breakthru Beverage facilities gives us the power to defend ourselves against management's insulting and illegal practices. Our solidarity is strong, and we will continue to fight to protect it."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/05/teamsters-extend-picket-lines-to-additional-breakthru-beverage-facilities/
Recology Teamsters Ratify Strong Contract
WASHINGTON, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Recology Teamsters Ratify Strong Contract
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Press Contact: Alexandra Banash Phone: (510) 418-2612 Email: alexandra@teamjc7.org
(SAN MATEO, Calif.) - Over 140 members of Teamsters Local 350 at Recology have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new five-year contract that delivers major gains in wages, retirement benefits, and workplace protections.
The agreement includes a 25 percent wage increase, enhanced retirement benefits, and important protections against surveillance
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Recology Teamsters Ratify Strong Contract
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Press Contact: Alexandra Banash Phone: (510) 418-2612 Email: alexandra@teamjc7.org
(SAN MATEO, Calif.) - Over 140 members of Teamsters Local 350 at Recology have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new five-year contract that delivers major gains in wages, retirement benefits, and workplace protections.
The agreement includes a 25 percent wage increase, enhanced retirement benefits, and important protections against surveillanceby cameras in and around trucks.
"This is a huge win for all of us," said Brian Marshall, a sanitation driver and bargaining committee member. "Securing a strong contract like this makes all the difference in the world so that we can provide for our families and stay safe on the job. We clock in to work every day to keep our communities clean and healthy. This contract delivers the compensation and respect we have earned."
Recology Teamsters service hundreds of commercial and residential routes collecting waste, recycling, and compost throughout San Mateo County, including communities like Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Hillsborough, and part of the West Bay Sanitary District.
"This strong contract is the result of worker militancy. Earlier this year, our members unanimously voted to authorize a strike, making clear that they were done with Recology's delays and disrespect at the bargaining table," said Robert Sandoval, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 350. "Recology Teamsters spoke with a unified voice and we are proud to secure an agreement that raises standards across the industry."
Teamsters Local 350 represents members in the public sector and solid waste, recycling, and linen industries, and in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties. For more information, please visit teamsters350.com.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/05/recology-teamsters-ratify-strong-contract/
Actors' Equity Association Endorses Micah Lasher for United States Congress
NEW YORK, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Endorses Micah Lasher for United States Congress
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New York - Actors' Equity Association's National Council has voted to endorse Micah Lasher for the United States House of Representatives, on behalf of the more than 51,000 actors and stage managers working in live entertainment. Lasher would represent New York's 12th Congressional District, a national hub of the arts which includes major workplaces such as every Broadway theater and Carnegie Hall.
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Endorses Micah Lasher for United States Congress
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New York - Actors' Equity Association's National Council has voted to endorse Micah Lasher for the United States House of Representatives, on behalf of the more than 51,000 actors and stage managers working in live entertainment. Lasher would represent New York's 12th Congressional District, a national hub of the arts which includes major workplaces such as every Broadway theater and Carnegie Hall.
In March, Equity and other arts unions came together to create the NY12 Live Arts Agenda, a platform of ways that government and organized labor can work hand in hand to protect workers in the live entertainment industry; nearly 70% of the state's 100,000 jobs in this sector are located in NY12.
"When we put out the call to support our Live Arts Agenda, Micah Lasher responded loudly and quickly that he is with us," said Al Vincent Jr., executive director of Actors' Equity Association. "And it's no coincidence that Lasher is a dyed-in-the-wool theatre fan. He sees our members at work regularly, and he understands the service they provide to New York City and the national economy. We feel his enthusiasm, and in kind we can't wait to work with him as a member of the U.S. Congress."
Micah Lasher said:
"I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the Actors' Equity Association. The 12th Congressional District is the live arts capital of the world, and the actors and stage managers who bring our theater to life deserve a champion in Congress. I will fight to ensure every arts worker has access to affordable, universal healthcare, and protect our creative professionals from the rise of AI. Theater workers deserve strong protections and I am ready to bring my fighting spirit to Washington to be a champion for those who make the magic happen."
Watch Lasher's video on the NY12 Live Arts Agenda here:
Equity's national public policy priorities include defending and protecting the right to collectively bargain, a prevailing wage in the arts, racial justice, a strong minimum wage, stronger federal and state arts funding, gun violence prevention, universal federal health care, tax fairness and LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.
ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks
May 26, 2026
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Original text here: https://www.actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/05/26/actors-equity-association-endorses-micah-lasher-for-united-states-congress
AFGE Blasts Administration's Proposed NDA Rule as Yet Another Attack on Non-Partisan Federal Employees
WASHINGTON, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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AFGE Blasts Administration's Proposed NDA Rule as Yet Another Attack on Non-Partisan Federal Employees
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New rule from Office of Personnel Management would require employees at participating agencies to sign non-disclosure agreements as condition of employment
WASHINGTON - American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley issued the following statement in response to a proposed rule by the Office of Personnel Management, to be
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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AFGE Blasts Administration's Proposed NDA Rule as Yet Another Attack on Non-Partisan Federal Employees
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New rule from Office of Personnel Management would require employees at participating agencies to sign non-disclosure agreements as condition of employment
WASHINGTON - American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley issued the following statement in response to a proposed rule by the Office of Personnel Management, to bepublished tomorrow in the Federal Register, that would require current and prospective employees at participating agencies to sign non-disclosure agreements as a condition of employment:
"OPM continues its efforts to silence federal employees. This proposed NDA is another attempt by the administration to purge the civil service of nonpartisan career employees and replace them with loyalists who won't speak out against waste, fraud, and abuse. Federal employees do not surrender their First Amendment rights when they accept federal employment, and the public has a right to know about this administration's abuses.
"OPM claims the form will be 'optional' for agencies to use and merely restates existing law. We know that will not be true. OPM will pressure agencies to make the NDA mandatory and then fire employees who refuse to sign it.
"Moreover, federal agencies already have extensive policies and procedures in place for preventing the unauthorized release of classified or privileged information. This proposed rule sweeps in an extraordinarily broad category of information, extending restrictions to the very material the public relies on to learn when an administration is causing harm. AFGE will submit comments on the proposed rule and urges OPM to withdraw it."
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/014eea5490fb44fe80ec50daf2cb9007.aspx
