(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) issued a spending cut alert for the provisions of title 5 of the United States Code that allow federal employees to use official time for labor union activities.  More than $100 million a year is being wasted when federal employees are allowed to use paid time for union activities.

The Office of Personnel Management conducted an extensive survey of 61 executive agencies and departments for fiscal year (FY) 2008, and reported that 2,893,922 hours were used in collective bargaining or arbitration of grievances against federal employers.  The report found that in FY 2008 alone, those activities cost the federal government $120.7 million in lost work hours, an increase of $7.7 million, or 6.8 percent, from the $113 million in FY 2007. 

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) introduced legislation today, the Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2011, that would repeal two sections of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, prohibiting federal employees from engaging in union activities on the taxpayers’ time.  Rep. Gingrey's bill is estimated to save taxpayers $600 million over five years. 

“Union activity, which consistently causes disruptions and inefficiencies in the workplace, should not be subsidized by taxpayers,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.  “At a time when the private sector is expected to do more with less, the federal government should be following this model and making sure they can be as efficient as possible; one way to do this is bar union activity on taxpayer time.” 

“Taxpayers now recognize that President Obama and his congressional allies will say anything to sound fiscally responsible, but their actions tell a different story.  The spendthrifts in Washington, D.C. should adopt any and all proposals that save taxpayers money and make the government more efficient,” Schatz concluded.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.