NYT - Homeland Security Dept. Loses Labor Rules Fight

[Starfury]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 - A federal court has struck down personnel rules adopted by the Department of Homeland Security, saying they violate the rights and protections given to employees by Congress.

In a ruling on Friday night, Judge Rosemary M. Collyer of Federal District Court said the rules did not "ensure collective bargaining" as required by the law that created the department. The rules were to take effect on Monday.

Employee rights were a huge political issue in debates over creation of the department, which consolidated 22 federal agencies with nearly 180,000 employees in an effort to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States.

Judge Collyer, who was appointed by President Bush, said the 2002 law gave federal officials "extraordinary authority" to develop a personnel system without regard to many of the constraints normally imposed by Civil Service laws. But, she said, the Bush administration exceeded even the "broad authority" granted by Congress.

(...)

http://nytimes.com/2005/08/14/national/nationalspecial3/14secure.html

[wishlist]

1. Wonderful news that Bush can't destroy Civil Service protections

This is an excellent decision that will hopefully stop or greatly delay the Bush regime from its steamrolling attempts to politicize and radically change the nature of the Federal Civil Service.

[Rose Siding]

2. Yay! That's good news!

A real judge slipped past the repub screeners :)

[rodeodance]

4. past time the courts pull them in!!!!

.....But, she said, the Bush administration exceeded even the "broad authority" granted by Congress.

[rodeodance]

3. Jr want to "hire and fire at will"--for national. sec. purposes. Good news

[nosmokes]

5. good for judge collyer .

i remember the slap in the face bushole gave to all first responders, many if not most of whom are unionised when he declared that homeland security could not work within the bounds set by unions, this while the dust from the 9/11 attacks were still settling, and just WTF did he think had answered the call that day? and what card were they carrying in their pockets? kiss my union ass, mr bush.

[IndianaGreen]

6. This may impact DOD workers as well, they have the same rules

enacted under the silly name National Security Personnel System. Federal worker unions were strip of what little influence they had. The most sinister change is that a DOD worker that gets railroaded can no longer appeal an adverse personnel action to the Federal Labor Relations Board, an impartial and independent board, but has to appeal to the new National Security Labor Relations Board whose members are appointed by Rumsfeld. Considering that loyalty to the Constitution is being replaced with loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief, the old DOD civil service will soon become a spoils system.

Kiss ass or get out!

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Imagine that - HS abuses it's own employees, I pity it's "targets"

.
.
.

on that image alone

HS should be disbanded/abolished - whatever

If the EMPLOYEES rights are abused

imagine the detainees and suspects . .

disgusted is not strong enough for my feelings on this

and I remain convinced my decision never to cross the border into the USSA in this lifetime was a wise one

Sorry Sunny SanDee

never see ur beaches again . . .

(sigh)

[annabanana]

8. .. makes it harder to politicize the rank & file!..

GOOD. I'll bet they appeal it though. If they can hire & fire willy nilly, good democratic civil servants will be out on their keisters.
I watched this batch of rules with trepidation. People here seem to have a picture of DHS as some big brother of a new department, but it is actually a cobbled together mish-mash of conflicting jurisdictions...... long may it wave.