Civilian Defense Union leaders call for Rumsfeld to resign

[kpete]

Posted on Tue, Mar. 07, 2006
Union leaders call for Rumsfeld to resign

By Drew BrownKnight Ridder NewspapersWASHINGTON

- Union officials representing more than 200,000 civilian defense workers across the country issued a vote of no-confidence Tuesday in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and called on him to step down.

The resolution, the first time that federal workers have called for a defense secretary to resign, came in response to the Pentagon's decision to appeal a federal judge's ruling last week that blocks controversial new workplace rules for civilian Defense Department workers.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled Feb. 27 that the National Security Personnel System, which Congress approved in 2003, fails to protect collective-bargaining rights, doesn't allow for independent review of labor relations decisions and fails to provide a fair appeals process in disciplinary cases. The American Federation of Government Employees sued last year.

Proponents of the new system say it would provide the Defense Department with greater management flexibility. Critics charge that it's part of an overall Bush administration plan to weaken unions. The personnel system it would replace has been in place for 50 years.

The no-confidence vote came during the American Federation of Government Employees' annual legislative conference. The federation represents 650,000 government employees nationwide.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/14041590.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_nation

[Wilms]

1. kick

[MadMaddie]

2. Swaaeeet!!!!!

A drop of good news is better than none.....:applause: