Feds Shouldn’t Be Locked Into Union Membership, Labor Panel Says

Federal employees who join unions but subsequently decide to quit should be able to opt out of paying union dues anytime after their first year of membership, and not just during a specified time period each year, according to the agency that oversees the government’s labor relations program.

The Federal Labor Relations Authority in a 2-1 decision said language in a labor relations statute that union dues elections “may not be revoked for a period of 1 year” refers only to the initial 12 months after a federal employee first becomes a union member, and not to subsequent years.

The ...