Hrm 531 - Labor Laws and Unions/department of the Air Force

Labor Laws and Unions/Department of the Air Force

David Harness

HRM 531

July 19, 2011

Labor Laws and Unions/Department of the Air Force

In this paper the subject to address is labor laws and the union associated with the United States Air Force's (USAF) civilian workforce. This civilian workforce is a subsidiary unit under the Department of Defense (DOD). It is no different than any other cooperate organization which occasionally experience legal issues requiring representation by both state and federal mediators. This paper will target some of those issues and provide recommendation to minimize the litigations of those issues.

The USAF civilian workforce is similar to other major corporations. They have multiple units across the country and composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds giving opportunities for circumstances to develop by virtue of the cultures, locations, race, and ethnic backgrounds. Most DOD civilians are covered under the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) which is a national union representing over 110,000 government workers across the United States (NFFE, Who We Are, 2011).

As an employer of civilians, the USAF is occasionally faced with legal issues. The civilians are also engaged with issues as employees. These issues range from grievances for different forms discrimination to reasonable accommodations and sexual harassment to name a few.

Laws are created to protect the employer, the USAF and the civilian employee. Federal labor laws typically deal with employer-union relationships and federal employment laws typically deal with employer-employee relationships (Federal Labor Laws, 2011). An example of a law subject to violation by the employer often challenged is the Family and Medical Leave Act. This is a federal labor law granting employees up to 12 weeks of medical leave per year to either care for themselves or a family member without losing their jobs or group health benefits. Often times this leave is challenged by the employee's supervisor and requires intervention. Another area of interest to protect the employee is the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002. Also referred to as the "No Fear Act" makes federal employers accountable for violations of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws in government