FederalDaily - January 29, 2007
Union Membership Drops to New Low
Continuing a long, steady decline, union membership dropped about a half percent from 2005 to 2006,
to 12 percent of the American workforce. That is a far cry from the halcyon days of union membership
in the 1950s, when more than a third of all workers belonged to unions. Union membership fell by 325,000
workers from 2005 levels, according to the 2006 union tally released Jan. 25 by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. About 15.4 million workers were union members last year. Public employees unions provided
a bright spot in the report. The public sector had a union membership rate nearly five times that of
the private sector—36.2 percent vs. 7.4 percent, respectively. Within the public sector, local
government workers had the highest union membership rate, 41.9 percent. This group includes several
heavily unionized occupations, such as teachers, police officers and firefighters. Last year, the union
membership rate was higher for men (13.0 percent) than for women (10.9 percent)—but the gap between
their rates had narrowed considerably since 1983, the report said. The number of federal employees
in unions grew slightly, by about 20,000 members. About 1 million workers in the federal sector are
union members. To see more, go to: www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.toc.htm.
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GAO: OPM Needs to Improve Training
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) needs to do a better job training its employees responsible
for implementing key human capital transformation efforts, said a new Government Accountability Office
report dated Jan. 19. The GAO looked for lessons to be learned from the OPM effort to put into operation
performance-based pay for members of the Senior Executive Service (SES). GAO review noted that OPM
workforce feedback suggests employees there may not be receiving sufficient training to enhance their
skills and competencies. OPM has begun aligning its workforce skills to meet future needs, the report
said, but the agency has not conducted an agency-wide skills assessment since updating its key strategic
management documents. “As the agency responsible for the federal government’s human capital
initiatives, OPM must have the capacity to successfully guide human capital transformations necessary
to meet the governance challenges of the 21st century,” the report said. To see more, go to: www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-07-90.
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Senator Concerned Over Possible USPS Staff Reductions
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., raised concerns regarding reports that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
is considering eliminating 40 positions in two New Mexico service areas—Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.
In a Jan. 24 letter to Postmaster General John Potter, Bingaman expressed concerns regarding published
accounts reporting the proposed job reductions. Word of staff cuts were especially troubling, Bingaman
said, in light of continuing complaints over late mail delivery and staffing shortages at local facilities.
Bingaman asked Potter to provide him with specific information about the USPS’ staffing plans
for Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. “Mail service in our state has been consistently poor. It’s
hard to see how this would fit with an overall strategy of improving mail service in New Mexico,” Bingaman
said. To see more, go to: http://bingaman.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=267964.
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