{"id":46168,"date":"2020-02-26T17:34:33","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T17:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/26\/defense-secretary-didnt-ask-for-new-union-bargaining-rules-unsure-if-hell-use-them\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:13:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:13:54","slug":"defense-secretary-didnt-ask-for-new-union-bargaining-rules-unsure-if-hell-use-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2020\/02\/26\/defense-secretary-didnt-ask-for-new-union-bargaining-rules-unsure-if-hell-use-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense secretary didn\u2019t ask for new union bargaining rules, unsure if he\u2019ll use them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday would not commit to using new authority to strip collective bargaining rights<\/a> from military civilian employees, saying he is still reviewing the recent presidential decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under questioning from lawmakers about potential disruptions to the Pentagon civilian workforce, Esper said he was not involved in the decision by the White House. In a memo made public last week, President Donald Trump announced he would grant the Secretary of Defense the authority to exempt federal employees in the Department of Defense from federal collective bargain rules<\/a>, citing national security concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis flexibility requires that military and civilian leadership manage their organizations to cultivate a lethal, agile force adaptive to new technologies and posture changes,\u201d Trump wrote, adding that the Pentagon \u201cshould not be forced to sacrifice its national security mission\u201d to appease union officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\t