Unions
Here's a look at documents from unions
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United Automobile Workers Issue Letter to Commerce Dept.
DETROIT, Michigan, May 27 (TNSletter) -- The United Automobile Workers issued the following letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce:
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Here is the text of the letter:
May 14, 2026
The Honorable Howard Lutnick
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Secretary Lutnick:
On behalf of the more than one million active and retired members of the UAW, we write to request urgent action to safeguard the U.S. production of brass musical instruments. Members of UAW Local 2359 build brass musical instruments in Eastlake, Ohio at Conn-Selmer,
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DETROIT, Michigan, May 27 (TNSletter) -- The United Automobile Workers issued the following letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce:
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Here is the text of the letter:
May 14, 2026
The Honorable Howard Lutnick
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Secretary Lutnick:
On behalf of the more than one million active and retired members of the UAW, we write to request urgent action to safeguard the U.S. production of brass musical instruments. Members of UAW Local 2359 build brass musical instruments in Eastlake, Ohio at Conn-Selmer,the country's largest manufacturer of band and orchestra instruments and the last remaining American manufacturer of brass musical instruments. Workers in Eastlake, Ohio have produced brass musical instruments for over 60 years. They have done their jobs, producing world-class products, winning a union contract with family-sustaining wages, and building the company into America's largest in the sector. Now, it is time for the federal government to do its job, by protecting our jobs, signaling to blue-collar workers across the country that their jobs will be safe too, and penalizing companies for attempting to offshore our jobs and decimate our communities. The Commerce Department has the power to immediately halt the offshoring of jobs at Conn-Selmer by making the company, and its billionaire owner, pay a price for leaving Eastlake behind. Brass musical instruments must be included as derivate products within the scope of the section 232 tariffs on copper imports.
Low-Cost Imports Undermine U.S. Production
In January 2026, Conn-Selmer announced plans to close the Eastlake plant and move production to China, stripping nearly 150 good union jobs away from the blue-collar community of Eastlake, Ohio.1 China is the largest importer of brass musical instruments into the United States.
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Chart: Imports of Brass Musical Instruments and Parts
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In writing, the company told us that all its top competitors "manufacture brass instruments exclusively in Asia",3 that it could purchase the same instruments from Asia for "thousands of dollars less per unit",4 and that its decision to offshore production to China "was primarily the result of unbridled foreign competition offering the American consumer virtually identical instruments at dramatically lower prices."5 By June 2026, if Conn-Selmer is not stopped from offshoring production to China, the domestic production of brass musical instruments is effectively slated to end.
The end of U.S. production of brass musical instruments poses grave and irreversible consequences for the future of American manufacturing. First, nearly 150 good, family-sustaining union jobs will be lost, continuing the decimation of blue-collar communities by free trade. Second, America will forever lose the skilled workforce that makes domestic production possible. A single color buffer at the Eastlake plant is the last remaining worker in the United States skilled enough to produce both tubas and sousaphones.6 If the Eastlake plant is allowed to close, America will also lose the skilled workforce necessary to ever make these brass musical instruments again. Finally, a chilling effect is likely to pervade similarly situated workers across the country, who will also fear losing their jobs because nothing is stopping their employer from deciding that offshoring is better for the company's bottom line.
Tariffs Necessary to Safeguard American Jobs and Production
The Commerce Department has both the power and the obligation to protect American jobs and prevent Conn-Selmer from offshoring production to China. We encourage the Commerce Department to immediately include brass musical instruments as derivate products within the scope of the section 232 tariffs on copper imports.7
The products produced at Eastlake fall under the following HTS codes:
* 9205.10.00 - Brass-wind instruments
* 9209.99.40 - Parts for other woodwind and brass-wind musical instruments
Brass imports are already covered by the copper tariff. Therefore, due to the substantial content of brass within brass musical instruments and because of the ongoing threat to domestic production, brass musical instruments are appropriate articles for inclusion. Further, it is clear that sufficiently high tariffs would protect domestic production. Conn-Selmer's only reason for offshoring production is to compete with lowcost imports. High tariffs would level the playing field. Conn-Selmer has invested $21 million to manufacture instruments in China.8 This amounts to almost half the value of annual brass musical instrument imports from China, indicating that America's only brass musical instrument manufacturer has the capacity to invest in domestic production if it becomes reliably safeguarded.
Conclusion
The administration has taken real action to protect domestic manufacturing against unfair trade. From steel production to auto manufacturing and more, remedial tariffs have proven effective for driving investment back to the United States. But, the free trade system is pervasive and the administration must remain vigilant to correct imbalances that threaten American jobs and domestic manufacturing capacity in sectors big and small. The workers at Conn-Selmer refuse to be left behind as collateral damage of the free trade system. They need immediate protection against offshoring. We look forward to working with you to protect good union jobs in Eastlake, Ohio.
Sincerely,
Shawn Fain, President, UAW
David Green, Director, UAW Region 2B
Robert Hines, President, UAW Local 2359
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Original text and footnotes here: https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/260514-UAW-Letter-on-Conn-Selmer.pdf
News Release here: https://uaw.org/uaw-members-call-on-administration-to-save-iconic-ohio-plant-from-being-offshored-to-china/
[Category: Union]
The Broadway League and Actors' Equity Association Create New Industry-Wide Audition Initiative
NEW YORK, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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The Broadway League and Actors' Equity Association Create New Industry-Wide Audition Initiative
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New York - Actors' Equity Association and The Broadway League announced today the creation of the League-Equity Audition Program ("LEAP"), a new pilot initiative designed to provide Equity actors the opportunity to be seen by top creative talent and casting professionals outside of the typical production-specific audition process.
Unlike the standard audition, LEAP is not intended
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 26 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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The Broadway League and Actors' Equity Association Create New Industry-Wide Audition Initiative
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New York - Actors' Equity Association and The Broadway League announced today the creation of the League-Equity Audition Program ("LEAP"), a new pilot initiative designed to provide Equity actors the opportunity to be seen by top creative talent and casting professionals outside of the typical production-specific audition process.
Unlike the standard audition, LEAP is not intendedto cast any particular production or project. Rather, LEAP is designed to give writers, directors, choreographers, casting directors, and other theatre professionals who develop new work the chance to see performers in the audition room so they can build relationships for future projects.
"Broadway has always thrived with the discovery of new talent. As our industry continues to think about access, opportunity, and how creative teams meet performers, it's important that we continue exploring new approaches, said Broadway League President Jason Laks. "We're always proud to partner with Actors' Equity Association on programs that invest in the future of Broadway."
"Development work is so important in our industry, because that's where the next generation of hits are born. And more often than not, a huge percentage of the cast that introduces new work on Broadway has been working with the creative team as they've brought that project to life," said Actors' Equity Association President Brooke Shields. "LEAP creates a new on-ramp for performers to work on the kind of projects that can change the course of a career."
In 2025, Actors' Equity Association and The Broadway League ratified a new Development Agreement. That new Development Agreement included the seeds of LEAP, creating a working group with the aim of holding industry-wide auditions to provide a new avenue for access for show creators and casting professionals to see performers outside of the traditional audition process.
The first auditions held as part of LEAP will take place at Actors' Equity Association's Audition Center in New York on June 29 and 30, with one day devoted to dancing and the other to singing and monologues. Additional information about the process will be shared with Equity members in the coming weeks.
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
THE BROADWAY LEAGUE, founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry representing more than 800 members from nearly 200 national and international markets including theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers as well as suppliers of goods and services to the commercial theatre industry. Since 1967, The Broadway League has been co-presenting the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards with The American Theater Wing. www.broadwayleague.com
May 26, 2026
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Original text here: https://www.actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/05/26/the-broadway-league-and-actors-equity-association-create-new-industry-wide-audition-initiative
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/
New data shows there is a nurse retention crisis, not a nurse shortage
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 26 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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New data shows there is a nurse retention crisis, not a nurse shortage
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Nearly 1.15 million registered nurses (RNs) with active licenses are not working as nurses, announced National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest union of registered nurses. NNU reached this number by comparing the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, released on May 15, with data covering the same period from the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
In the fact sheet "There
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 26 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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New data shows there is a nurse retention crisis, not a nurse shortage
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Nearly 1.15 million registered nurses (RNs) with active licenses are not working as nurses, announced National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest union of registered nurses. NNU reached this number by comparing the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, released on May 15, with data covering the same period from the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
In the fact sheet "ThereIs No Nurse Shortage", NNU argues that, to solve the immense and mounting challenges facing the nursing profession, employers and lawmakers must focus on recruiting and retaining these 1.15 million nurses back into the hospital and the profession.
"The data is clear that the U.S. nursing profession has a retention crisis, not a nurse shortage," said NNU President Jamie Brown, RN. "We want the public to know that our working conditions are so unsafe and unsustainable that they are driving new and experienced nurses away from hospitals, both large and small. Hospital employers have the power to immediately address the retention crisis by taking concrete steps to improve patient care conditions, including improving RN-to-patient ratios and providing appropriate support to caregivers."
In addition to the lived experiences of RNs across the country, data analyzed and published in peer-reviewed medical journals over the past few years show a systematic failure to invest in safe, quality, human-to-human patient care.
* A May 2026 study on hospital nursing published in Medical Care, a journal of the American Public Health Association, found that nursing has not returned to pre-Covid conditions - and that, in some cases, are "even worse than they were at the height of the pandemic."
* A February 2026 analysis of survey data, published by the peer-reviewed JAMA Network, found that adequate staffing is t he top factor that would increase RNs' likelihood of returning to employment.
* A February 2024 NNU report found that employers' failures to prevent workplace violence - which includes improving staffing - drove more than a third of nurses to consider leaving their job and nearly 20 percent to change or leave their job.
Brown continued: "It's not uncommon for nurses to experience the never-ending cycle of training a new nurse, only for them to leave after six months because of the intolerable conditions. Then, they have to repeat the process, while still managing a full patient load, until they can't take it anymore and leave as well. It's also not uncommon for nurses with less than a year of experience to take on the role of preceptor, or trainer, because experienced nurses are leaving the profession. That's unacceptable and needs to be solved."
NNU advocates for RN-to-patient ratios, which save patient lives and increase nurse retention, as reported in countless academic studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
A federal bill, the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act (S. 1709, H.R. 3415) was introduced in Congress in 2025. It is modeled after the nurse-to-patient ratio legislation in California, which, more than two decades ago, became the first state to require such minimum standards hospital-wide and remains the only state that requires them in every hospital unit. Study after study has found that the law has improved nurse satisfaction and patient outcomes.
More information can be found in the NNU fact sheet: "There is No Nurse Shortage."
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/new-data-shows-there-is-a-nurse-retention-crisis-not-a-nurse-shortage
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
