The Office of Personnel Management’s memo came just days after a court lifted a year-long injunction in a union-sponsored lawsuit against three executive orders issued in May 2018. ADSeveral months later, a federal district court agreed with the unions that major parts of the orders overstepped the president’s authority under civil service law. ADHowever, in July of this year a federal appeals court held, without ruling on that issue, that the dispute belongs instead before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, which decides on disputes between agencies and unions. ADThe unions still have the option of a further appeal to the Supreme Court, but for the meantime the focus will shift to the bargaining table and then to the FLRA. The court injunction did not address most of those provisions, except to the extent that grievance rights and other procedures have been negotiated into contracts.

Source: Washington Post October 07, 2019 18:11 UTC