The surprising rebound of unions

Courts, elections help unions parry administration’s assault

By STEPHEN LOSEY

November 27, 2006

In the early days of President Bush’s administration, it appeared federal unions were in for hard times.

The administration — abetted by a supportive Congress — took steps that seemed squarely aimed at marginalizing the unions. It disbanded the labor-union partnerships that existed across the government. It announced an aggressive campaign to open tens of thousands of federal jobs to contractor competition. It replaced all the members of the federal panel that resolves labor impasses with people whom unions viewed as hostile. It barred unions from the new Transportation Security Administration. And in 2003, it began efforts to dismantle the government’s 45-year-old collective bargaining rules at two of the biggest departments: Homeland Security and Defense.

But the unions fought back — in the federal courts, in Congress and, most recently, at the ballot boxes. And instead of finding themselves on the ropes, federal unions have scored an impressive string of successes that have convinced many they still have an important say over federal workplace matters.