WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is leading efforts in the Senate to ban government workers from engaging in union duties while on the clock, arguing the proposal is crucial to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used for partisan activities.
Lee introduced the No Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime Act on Monday, seeking to prohibit public sector union-related activities such as organizing or handling cases related to the Federal Labor Relations Authority while on official time. The bill comes as President Donald Trump is looking to rein in some government union activities, such as collective bargaining rights.
“President Trump is taking strong steps to rein in overpowered public sector unions, which even Democrat leaders like FDR thought shouldn’t exist in the first place,” Lee said in a statement. “American taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund union organizing, and federal employees should be working full time for the American people when they’re on the clock.”
Under current law, union employees can engage in representational activities such as promotional procedures, establishing flexible work hours, representing members in disciplinary actions, and more, according to the American Federation of Government Employees.
However, union representatives are not permitted to use official time to conduct union-specific business. Those activities, including membership solicitation and elections of labor organization officials, can be done only when the employee is “in a non-duty status.”
Still, Lee and groups that have endorsed his proposal say there are certain activities that union members can engage in while on official time that are a waste of taxpayer resources. Those duties include lobbying Congress on legislation related to unions and handling union representation functions while being paid by federal agencies.
“Federal government unions are heavily involved in party politics,” National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix said in a statement. “They stage massive political protests, and contribute large amounts of money and manpower to influence elections. Employees of these unions should not have their salaries paid by American taxpayers.”
Lee cited a 2016 report by the Office of Personnel Management that showed federal employees spent 3.6 million hours on union-related businesses, costing taxpayers more than $177 million. That number dropped to 2.6 million hours, costing $134.9 million, during the first Trump administration, according to Lee.
However, data has not been collected since 2019 due to a lack of requirements, making it unclear how much time and money has been spent on union activities in recent years.
A similar bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va. It’s not yet clear when either bill may be scheduled for a vote.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for federal employees to conduct union business instead of fulfilling their official duties,” Cline said in a statement. “Ending ‘official time’ is a commonsense step to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and to increase accountability across the federal workforce. Public funds should serve the American people, not private union interests.”