Recently introduced legislation (H.R. 6268) would prohibit federal employees from unionizing at the Internal Revenue Service.
Introduced by Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), the bill would prevent unionization at the agency, something Gosar says would help with carrying out the agency’s mission rather than the mission of unions.
Gosar said in a statement about the bill:
The Supreme Court ruling against mandatory union dues was a major step in the right direction towards ensuring taxpayer dollars aren’t forced to subsidize political activities. In line with this major win for the American taxpayer, my legislation would be a check against partisanship and union abuse, specifically at the IRS, and would help ensure that the employees within the agency enforce the law with integrity and fairness.
Under current law, several federal government agencies are already prohibited from unionizing and entering into collective bargaining agreements. Given the everyday functions of the IRS, there is no good reason why the agency shouldn’t also be on this list. This legislation is another step in the right direction toward stopping federal government tax collectors and other bureaucrats from unionizing and entering into collective bargaining agreements at the taxpayer’s expense.
Part of a Recent Trend
The bill reflects a philosophical shift taking aim at federal employee unions. President Trump’s recent executive orders attempt to place more restrictions on unions and their use of official time.
Federal employee unions have been fighting the changes, but as FedSmith.com author Ralph Smith recently wrote, the actions being taken against the unions really shouldn’t come as a surprise under the Trump administration.
“The reality is this is politics as usual. Union officials may not have known the specific steps that would be taken when Republicans won the White House and Congress. But, with their visible and vocal support of Democrats running for office, it can’t be a surprise that the political system is pushing back to restrict taxpayer support of their activities,” wrote Smith.