VA announced that it has begun implementing a recent presidential executive order (EO), which offered new guidelines for how union officials use work hours when representing federal employees.

Signed by President Trump on May 25, “Executive Order 13837 Ensuring Transparency, Accountability, And Efficiency in Taxpayer Funded Union Time Use” is intended to “ensure that taxpayer-funded union time is used efficiently and authorized in amounts that are reasonable, necessary, and in the public interest.”

Peter O’Rourke, VA’s acting secretary, said the executive order will increase monitoring and reporting guidelines among VA, the Office of Personnel Management and union leaders, while  making that information available to the public.

“This executive order ensures the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” O’Rourke said. “The order offers reasonable standards for union representatives and makes clear that they should spend the majority of their duty hours on federal government work.”

The executive order affects about 1,700 VA employees using taxpayer-funded union time. Approximately 300,000 VA employees are represented by one of five national unions. The order’s restrictions regarding time spent on government work includes member solicitation, lobbying activities, elections of union officials and collection of dues.

The executive order also outlines rules about the following:

  • Negotiations about appropriate implementation of the executive order
  • Standards for use of union time
  • Employee conduct regarding agency time and resources, to include use of office or meeting spaces, phones and computer systems
  • Preventing unlawful or unauthorized expenditures
  • Agency reporting requirements, and
  • Public disclosure and transparency.

Nathan Maenle, principal deputy assistant secretary for VA’s Office of Human Resources and Administration, offered an example of how the order is being implemented at VA.

“VA employees who previously spent 100 percent of their official work hours on union issues can devote no more than 25 percent of that time to the union under the new executive order,” Maenle said. “Union leaders must also request and receive approval of their use of taxpayer-funded union time to allow the VA to monitor the use of this time to ensure that it’s only used for authorized purposes.”

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7 Comments

  1. Sandra Stuart August 5, 2018 at 07:04

    The executive orders also restrict employees rights to due process. No mention In this article of that. Hopefully VA. is it not following that part of the order but doubtful. It’s amazing how they can put such a positive spin on something so Un-American. The lack of respect for your employees who fought and have dedicated their lives to this country is a travesty. When you attack our Unions you are attacking us, your employees. Unions are your employees.

  2. Amanda Schroeder August 2, 2018 at 11:30

    “The executive order affects about 1,700 VA employees using taxpayer-funded union time. Approximately 300,000 VA employees are represented by one of five national unions. The order’s restrictions regarding time spent on government work includes member solicitation, lobbying activities, elections of union officials and collection of dues.”

    Ummm…. all the aforementioned activities with the exception of lobbying, were already prohibited during duty time (Official Time or any other paid government time).

    Good grief!

  3. Shannon Williamson August 2, 2018 at 10:33

    this statement in particular stuck out to me: “The order’s restrictions regarding time spent on government work includes member solicitation, lobbying activities, elections of union officials and collection of dues.” As a federal employee who works full time in the Union Office (appointed), I know for a fact that we are not, prior to these orders, authorized to perform member solicitation, lobbying, elections or collection of dues during official time! Who are they trying to fool here?

  4. joseph gaw July 28, 2018 at 11:39

    More proof that republicans will attack any union activity,

  5. Paul Edward Hamilton July 27, 2018 at 11:01

    These Executive Orders are ridiculous and will be overturned by the U.S. Federal Courts!!!

  6. Jamie July 21, 2018 at 12:20

    This is awesome, people will love this.

  7. Raja July 20, 2018 at 09:30

    Hi we are here in pk quetta so we are in battle filed here need help with money soon

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