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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219- 8211.
Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of
Columbia, upheld President Clinton's Executive Order barring the permanent
replacement of striking workers, Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich
announced.
"This decision is a victory for the President and more
important for working Americans," Reich said. "The Court confirmed that it is
the President's responsibility and within his authority to demand that
taxpayer's dollars only be spent on quality goods and services."
In her decision Judge Gladys Kessler wrote, "Executive
Order 12954 reflects the President's judgment that there is a negative
relationship between satisfaction of the government's procurement needs and the
use of permanent striker replacements by government contractors."
She continued, "The President, in issuing Executive Order
112954, was acting in his capacity as manager of the federal government's
property. The Executive Order merely specifies one of the terms (refusal to
hire permanent striker replacements) on which it is willing to do business."
"The use or threat to use permanent replacement workers
destroys opportunities for cooperative and stable labor- management relations,"
Reich said. "And that, President Clinton concluded, harms the employees who
deliver these services and the taxpayers who pick up the tab."
Executive Order 112954 bars employers with federal
contracts exceeding $100,000 from permanently replacing lawfully striking
workers. The Secretary of Labor is charged with the administration and
enforcement of this policy.
Judge Kessler postponed the date of enforcement of the
Executive Order until the Court of Appeals has had an opportunity to review her
decision, should the plaintiffs seek review.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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