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WASHINGTON – NTEU members from across the country are urging their members of Congress to vote “yes” on legislation restoring their legal right to join a union and advocate for a better workplace from which to serve the American people.

After successfully forcing a procedural vote, the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act will now get a vote on the House floor Thursday, a major development in the fight against attacks on federal employees and their rights to bargain collectively.

The legislation, if it becomes law, would overturn the March 27 executive order that illegally stripped away union rights for employees at multiple federal agencies.

In addition to the union members who are contacting their representatives in Washington, NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald sent a letter to every member of the U.S. House encouraging them to support the legislation.

“Federal law clearly states that the right of employees to organize, bargain collectively, and participate through labor organizations in decisions which affect them safeguards the public interest and contributes to the effective conduct of public business,” Greenwald wrote. “It is important that these rights are maintained, and that employees continue to have a voice in their workplace and are not afraid to blow the whistle when they see wrongdoing or waste.”

“A merit-based, non-partisan civil service is the backbone of our federal government. It is imperative that our career civil servants who are charged with implementing complex federal programs on behalf of the American people can continue to do their work with dedication and skill, regardless of changes in elected leadership,” Greenwald’s letter states. “Proposals that eliminate or restrict collective bargaining and due process rights for these employees would return the civil service to the dysfunctional spoils system of the past, driven by patronage and political favoritism rather than ability and merit.”

NTEU represents employees in 38 federal agencies and offices.