President Donald Trump upended a generation of protections for federal employees, signing executive orders on May 29 making it easier to fire workers for poor performance, limiting the time employees can be paid for union work and directing federal agencies to negotiate tougher contracts with workers’ unions.

Four decades ago, Congress approved a benefit allowing union representatives to use time during the workday to help colleagues file grievances, address sexual harassment claims and resolve workplace problems. Trump has restricted that period — called “official time” — to no more than 25 percent of a union representative’s workday. The U.S. Department of Education had already eliminated official time in the contract it imposed on its employees.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employees union, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on May 31 over the new restrictions on official time, claiming the president’s action violates the First Amendment and oversteps his constitutional authority.

Another executive order directs managers to act more aggressively to fire public employees they consider poor performers and slashes those employees’ grace periods to show improvement from 120 days to one month.

The president also required federal agencies to negotiate union contracts in less than a year and begin charging unions for space in federal buildings they now use for free.
The Washington Post, May 25 and May 31