Trump takes aim at federal bureaucracy with new executive orders altering civil service protections

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post




By Lisa Rein

May 25 at 4:40 PM

President Trump issued three executive orders Friday aimed at overhauling the federal bureaucracy by making it easier to fire poor performers, sharply curtailing the amount of time federal employees can be paid for union work and directing agencies to negotiate tougher union contracts.

The orders could result in the biggest changes in a generation to civil service protections long enjoyed by federal workers.

White House officials said the goal of the executive orders is to make the workforce of two million federal employees more efficient and responsive to the public and to improve morale.

In a briefing with reporters, Andrew Bremberg, the White House’s director of the domestic policy, said that a survey of federal employees has found that many do not believe their agencies adequately address poor performers.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-takes-aim-at-federal-bureaucracy-with-new-executive-orders-altering-civil-service-protections/2018/05/25/3ed8bf84-6055-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html

[hedda_foil]

1. The only one whose morale will improve is him.

[vlyons]

2. Improve morale?

What a croc!

[HopeAgain]

3. "Poor performers"

Being those who don't show allegiance to Trump?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

14. Bingo!

Civil Service was designed to take patronage out of the government. What Trump is doing has been a long time wet dream of every Republican who wants to fire people they deem are not loyalists to their cause.

[vlyons]

4. Meanwhile back at the ranch

Trump has peeps obsessing over the Natl anthem

[procon]

5. It's another one of those "Everyone says," lies that Trump hides behind

when he thinks he's pulling a fast one. Privatizing the federal government, what's left of it, it the goal.

[stuffmatters]

6. this!

[keithbvadu2]

7. Didn't right wingers whine that Obama ruled/legislated by EOs?

[SergeStorms]

16. They cried like little babies.

They threatened, they filed law suits. But that was when a Black man was President. Now that a lily-white "republican" is in office all of those objections have vanished. Funny thing about that, huh?

[weissmam]

8. another two million that won't be voting GOP

[atreides1]

9. This time!!

[rurallib]

10. A late Friday afternoon, holiday weekend fucking of the troops

[kairos12]

11. Poor performers is cover for anyone not a Trumpist.

[paleotn]

12. That will get tossed in court as fast as you can say....

preliminary injunction.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. Oh boy

Back to cronyism

[Hugin]

15. Sigh. Fascist does fascist things.

The Friday before Memorial Day is an asshole touch. Especially, since a large percentage of the Federal Workforce are veterans, service members, or dependents of service members.

[DeminPennswoods]

17. The fact is federal unions are pretty weak

My experience at DoD was the management did an excellent job of dividing bargaining unit employees from each other. While the union had to represent all bargaining unit members in grievances, union membership was not mandatory nor were mandatory union dues. If you weren't a union member you could be charged for union representation, but I think people joined when they needed the services. Our contract allowed union officers "official duty time" where you keep your regular civil service grade and series, but spend all or some of your time on union business. Management didn't like that so they could do petty things to make it hard on members who didn't do full time union work.

It's also pretty hard to get fired from the federal civil service although I did see it happen once. The way management works dividing the bargaining unit is to play up the resentment almost all civil servants have when they have to pick up the slack for co-workers who are lazy, incompetent or both. You're working your tail off while the "poor performer" is getting more training, 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances to improve and so on. Often these employees turn to/join the union for protection. The script writes itself, union equals protecting employees who should be fired.