In a last-minute maneuver, former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, in his final days as commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), pulled a fast one on American taxpayers.  Shortly after citizens voted for a change in direction in the 2024 elections, O’Malley inked a sweetheart deal with union leaders before resigning on November 29, allowing SSA employees to continue teleworking until at least 2029.

Donald Trump has challenged this union agreement, stating in a memo, “Such last minute, lame-duck CBAs, which purport to bind a new president to his predecessor’s policies, run counter to America’s system of democratic self-government.”  The courts will likely have the final say on whether this agreement stands.  Despite the final resolution, this situation highlights a critical issue: why do federal workers need union representatives?

The financial burden on American taxpayers is significant for federal employees in unions.  The Office of Personnel Management calculated in 2019, federal employees spent 2.6 million hours — time that should have been dedicated to their job responsibilities — on union activities, costing taxpayers a staggering $135 million.  According to the Economic Policy Innovation Center, this figure has likely soared to over a billion dollars annually during the Biden administration.  At the SSA alone, O’Malley allocated 14 employees to work exclusively for the union, all at the expense of taxpayers.

How did we arrive at this point?  Much of the blame can be traced back to President Kennedy, who, in 1962, signed Executive Order 10988, granting federal employees the right to join, form, or support labor organizations.  This order established a three-tiered recognition system: exclusive representation, formal recognition, and informal recognition.  Subsequent presidents, including Nixon, Ford, and Carter, further expanded union rights and codified them into law.

I have no beef with unions in the private markets, as forming unions is part of free association and free markets.  In the public sector, it is a different animal, as this isn’t a free market.  If the argument is that without unions, federal employees will be mistreated, this line of thought is an insult to the American citizenry, as, after all, our government is by We The People.

We all know that federal unions help finance the Democrat party.  In 2023, Fox News reported that the top four unions alone funneled $700 million to the Democrat party, who in turn are beholden to federal employee unions, which gives them incentives to sign sweetheart deals when they are in power.  These deals cost taxpayers millions in inflated wages, protection from rightful termination, and so on.  It is time to end this ugly conflict of interest.

Although unions representing federal workers may have been codified into law, remember, whatever has been made law can be reversed by future legislatures working with the Executive Branch.  Until November 2026, Republicans have a golden opportunity to reverse 60 years of bad policy and improve federal services to Americans, as well as saving taxpayers billions.  President Trump, Elon Musk, and the members of DOGE, the moment for change is now!

Image via Picryl.