Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Trump ends union rights for nearly one million in an openly political attack
Trump’s recent executive order ends union rights for a large number of federal workers, citing national security concerns after some unions vowed to oppose the massive cuts proposed by the new administration, writes PEOPLE’S DISPATCH
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ON March 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending collective bargaining for over one million federal workers, according to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). Trump’s executive order cites national security concerns as the reasoning for such a major action.
The White House cites the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) as giving the president authority to end collective bargaining at agencies with “national security missions.”
The CSRA has traditionally only applied to agencies such as the CIA, the FBI or the National Security Agency. But Trump’s order ends bargaining for employees at a far larger number of government agencies, including the Department of Defence, Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Science Foundation, the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Department of Energy, and many others. Notably, police and firefighters are excluded from this executive order, and may continue to bargain.
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