The Biden-Harris administration has shown by several of its early actions and choice of appointees that it strives to sustain a worker-friendly platform. On January 22, 2021, President Joe Biden issued his Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce. The First Section of this EO encapsulates its importance for us as federal workers and as bargaining unit employees at the Library of Congress:
Policy. Career civil servants are the backbone of the Federal workforce, providing the expertise and experience necessary for the critical functioning of the Federal Government. It is the policy of the United States to protect, empower, and rebuild the career Federal workforce. It is also the policy of the United States to encourage union organizing and collective bargaining. The Federal Government should serve as a model employer.
The Guild applauds this verification of the importance of federal workers, and notes as well Section 4 of this EO titled “Ensuring the Right to Engage in Collective Bargaining” that reinforces the presence of our union and sister unions across the federal sector. We continue to represent the interests of our bargaining unit employees at the Library of Congress in this environment, which recognizes the critical role played by federal unions in the workplace.
Anne Toohey
Guild President
David Fernández-Barrial
Guild Chief Steward
