DHS Ends Try To Disregard Union Contracts

By ARI PAUL

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Feb. 15 scrapped a plan to restructure its labor-relations system, ending a five-year legal battle with the National Treasury Employees Union.

COLLEEN KELLEY: DHS wise to back off.

DHS appealed a Federal judge's decision in 2005 that its proposed labor rules, which would give it the ability to nullify collective bargaining agreements and reschedule employees without consulting their union representatives, were illegal.

'Meant to Reduce Rights'

"The labor-relations regulations DHS wanted to implement - and that the White House wanted to extend throughout the government - were an effort to reduce employees' workplace rights and give managers the unfettered discretion to alter fundamental working conditions essentially at will," NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said in a statement. "This would not have worked effectively in DHS, nor are such rules in any Federal agency in the best interests of the American people. DHS should now turn its attention to addressing the severe morale problems that adversely affect the department's mission."

In a filing to the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, the department said it would be dropping its case and that it "will proceed with labor relations pursuant to applicable law."

Ms. Kelley called the closing of the case a victory for the union.