doesn't apply to collective bargaining agreements:
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Impact on Collective Bargaining Agreements
The pay freeze policy in the Presidential memorandum may not, as a matter of Federal sector labor law, apply to any increase that is required by a collective bargaining agreement that has already been executed and is in effect as of the date of the Presidential memorandum. Each agency should consider the policy contained in the Presidential memorandum and consult with agency counsel to determine the agency’s position in any collective bargaining that may occur going forward.
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On Wisconsin, President Obama's
statement (Feb. 16):
"Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where you're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally seems like more of an assault on unions. And I think it's very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends. These are folks who are teachers and they're firefighters and they're social workers and they're police officers.
"They make a lot of sacrifices and make a big contribution. And I think it's important not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees."
VP Biden's
statement (Feb 24):
"Public employees are not the problem. The problem goes much deeper...We are going to see the economic conditions that they (Republicans) created used as an excuse to fundamentally go after the social agenda that the far right has been trying to accomplish for a long time."
Secretary Solis'
statement (Feb. 26):
I’ve been following the developments in Wisconsin, and Ohio, and many other states across the country.
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And we’ve seen our brothers and sisters in the public employees unions willing to give there share, and to negotiate in good faith to help their states get through tough times.
But the governors in Wisconsin and Ohio aren’t just asking workers to tighten their belts, they’re demanding that they give up their uniquely American rights as workers.
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All these workers want is the opportunity to sit down at the table, like grown ups, and work together to solve problems.
That’s what collective bargaining is all about.