Changes in Labor Rights Ahead

One area of special concern to federal unions in the debate over the bill involved agency rights to bar unionization of certain employees and the scope of issues over which unions could bargain. The final version: instructs DoD to establish a labor relations system based on a collaborative issue-based approach to labor relations, subject to a six-year sunset); provides for independent third party review of issues arising in the labor relations system, although DoD could define what decisions are reviewable, what body would conduct the review, and the standard or standards for that review; and allows DoD to invoke national level bargaining at its discretion, rather than bargain at the local level.