President Bush signed an executive order Feb. 17 to require government contractors to notify employees of their rights under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 holding in CWA v. Beck. The order, along with three other orders, “are based on the principles of fair and open competition, neutrality in government contracting, effective and efficient use of tax dollars and the legal right of workers to be notified of how their dues may be used,” according to the White House press secretary’s statement. With respect to the Beck order, the President agrees with the ruling “affirming the right of workers to be notified and object, if they so choose, to their union dues being used for purposes other than collective bargaining,” the statement said. [BNA 2/21/01]
Chavez Forms Union Watchdog
Linda Chavez, President Bush’s first nominee for Labor Secretary announced Feb. 21 she is forming an watchdog group to monitor the involvement of unions in political campaigns. The goal is to “make sure that [unions] do not have undue influence on our political offices,” she said during a lecture on unions sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. Chavez said her group will monitor unions’ political contributions to ensure compliance with election and tax laws. [BNA 2/23/01].