The Ebb and Flow of Federal Sector Labor-Management Relations Policies under Four Successive Presidents

Federal sector labor-management relations policies ebb and flow with changes in presidential administrations. As the nation’s Chief Executive, the president exercises considerable influence over both policy and practice in this domain. We review the relevant policies of four successive presidents (Clinton, Bush 43, Obama, and Trump) on seven dimensions, comparing them to the existing Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS). To put the presidents’ policies into broader context, we show how they correspond with the presidents’ expressed or implied views on public administration, management, and labor-management relations. We find considerable variation across the presidents, which correlate with political party and ideology. The reality is that policy and practice in this area are politically moving targets. We discuss the implications of our findings for labor and management.