The Inside Scoop on NTEU's White House Meeting - Victory For NTEU

February 26, 2023

On Feb. 26, more than 80 NTEU members and leaders met with senior officials from the Biden administration in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds to discuss important issues facing the federal workforce.

The NTEU-only meeting included chapter presidents from multiple federal agencies who were in Washington to attend the NTEU Legislative Conference. High-ranking officials from the White House staff, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management took questions directly from NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald, National Vice Presidents and many chapter presidents.

“It was a great opportunity to have a discussion with the people who help craft White House policy that directly affects you and every other federal employee,” Greenwald said afterward.

As you would expect, NTEU’s 2024 legislative agenda was the main focus, including pay, telework, staffing, agency funding and union rights. Administration officials were receptive and generally aligned with NTEU’s positions, although Greenwald challenged them to recommit to the availability of telework across government.

One issue that NTEU raised, however, drew an immediate affirmative response: NTEU asked the administration to officially restore the directive for agencies to hold formal agency-level meetings between unions and management that had been discontinued under the previous administration. These forums provide frontline federal employees with a more meaningful voice in agency operations.

Nine days later, on March 6, President Biden issued an executive order restoring the requirement that agencies engage unions in Labor Management Forums and pre-decisional input – yet another sign that this administration understands the importance of its workforce and a strong signal to agencies that federal employees must continue to have a say in key agency decisions.

“Labor-Management Forums, as complements to the existing collective bargaining process, allow managers and employees to collaborate in order to continue to deliver the highest quality goods and services to the American people,” the new order states.

This kind of dialogue and action would never have never been possible without an administration that values its workers. It matters who is given a seat at the table and whose voices are heard at the White House. It’s encouraging that, unlike his predecessor, President Biden’s administration opens its doors to listen to labor leaders and civil servants.

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NTEU represents employees in 35 federal agencies and offices.         

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