In another attempt to rein in federal employees, a pair of Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to ensure workers aren’t engaging in union activities while on the “taxpayers’ dime.”
Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, have introduced the No Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime Act to curb federal employees from participating in union activities during working hours, saying it is a significant issue in the federal government.
The lawmakers contend the legislation is intended to “restore accountability to the federal workforce and ensure taxpayer dollars are used solely to serve the American people, not to subsidize private union interests.”
The legislation would amend current law to ensure federal employees can only engage in union activities during “their own time at their own expense.”
The lawmakers cited data from the Office of Personnel Management that says federal workers “spent 3.6 million hours performing union-related activities in 2016 alone,” adding that it cost the taxpayers over $177 million. Despite “reforms” during the first Trump administration in 2019, the number was only reduced to 2.6 million hours, costing taxpayers nearly $135 million.
The lawmakers did not cite data to show if there was a decrease or increase during the Biden administration.
“The lack of unified reporting means the full scope of the problem remains unknown today,” according to a release from the lawmakers.
Lastly, the legislation would address what the lawmakers claim is a “lack of transparency and weak statutory guardrails” that have led to federal workers abusing their time on the clock. The lawmakers accuse “some federal employees” of spending the “vast majority of their time” participating in union work.
The lawmakers did not indicate departments or agencies where federal employees may be engaging in union activities or whether there is growing concern about an uptick of union-related activity in response to the Trump administration’s plans to cull the federal workforce.
Cline says taxpayers “shouldn’t be footing the bill” for federal workers to engage in union activities while neglecting “their official duties.”
The congressman hopes the legislation will restore accountability among federal workers, echoing a common theme from the Department of Government Efficiency.
“Ending ‘official time’ is a commonsense step to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and to increase accountability across the federal workforce,” said Cline. “Public funds should serve the American people, not private union interests.”
The newly introduced legislation will likely ruffle feathers on the other political aisle, as many Democratic lawmakers have protested in solidarity with federal employees facing workforce reductions.
