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House Votes Blocks Defense Personnel Rules

July 4, 2006

A great team effort by numerous unions with members at the United States Department of Defense has won a crucial victory in the battle to gut labor contracts at the agency.

International President Ed Hill put the resources of the IBEW, especially the Government and Political/Legislative Departments, in support of members in the federal sector.  The IBEW joined other unions in the United Department of Defense Workers Coalition (UDWC) in standing up to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Bush Administration to support a key amendment in legislation before the House of Representatives to block funding for the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) which would strip all meaningful union protections from DOD employees.  The amendment was introduced by Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.). 

While the struggle is not over until the language to block spending for the NSPS is included in the final bill, the fact that the amendment passed on a voice vote with no opposition shows the clear desire of Congress for DOD to work with the unions to create a fair system for workers at the agency.

Read the UDWC’s press release on the vote:

UDWCprNSPSDefundWin.pdf