
HHS and the NTEU have become the latest department and union to agree to a reset of their relations after contentious bargaining and numerous complaints arose over Trump administration labor-management policies.
As with an agreement announced earlier between the VA and the AFGE and other unions representing its employees, the HHS-NTEU agreement essentially returns the parties to the contract in place before new negotiations started during the Trump term.
In both cases, contract terms were imposed reflecting restrictions on union activities under a set of 2018 executive orders.
“As part of the agreement, HHS and NTEU will pursue a global settlement of all outstanding litigation, which will give this important labor-management relationship a fresh start. The parties have also agreed to resume regular labor management forum meetings,” the union said.
Meanwhile, though, the AFGE has said that a similar series of complaints it has filed against the Education Department has been consolidated into one case that will begin the formal hearing process at the FLRA in November.
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