Here is a link to the letter: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15445
On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 11:55 AM, Robert Munn <[email protected]> wrote: > FDR said it best in a letter to the head of the National Federation of > Federal Employees: > > My dear Mr. Steward: > > As I am unable to accept your kind invitation to be present on the occasion > of the Twentieth Jubilee Convention of the National Federation of Federal > Employees, I am taking this method of sending greetings and a message. > > Reading your letter of July 14, 1937, I was especially interested in the > timeliness of your remark that the manner in which the activities of your > organization have been carried on during the past two decades "has been in > complete consonance with the best traditions of public employee > relationships." Organizations of Government employees have a logical place > in Government affairs. > > The desire of Government employees for fair and adequate pay, reasonable > hours of work, safe and suitable working conditions, development of > opportunities for advancement, facilities for fair and impartial > consideration and review of grievances, and other objectives of a proper > employee relations policy, is basically no different from that of employees > in private industry. Organization on their part to present their views on > such matters is both natural and logical, but meticulous attention should be > paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the > public itself and to the Government. > > All Government employees should realize that the process of collective > bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public > service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to > public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make > it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the > employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations. The > employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their > representatives in Congress. Accordingly, administrative officials and > employees alike are governed and guided, and in many instances restricted, > by laws which establish policies, procedures, or rules in personnel matters. > > > Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have > no place in the functions of any organization of Government employees. Upon > employees in the Federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole > people, whose interests and welfare require orderliness and continuity in > the conduct of Government activities. This obligation is paramount. Since > their own services have to do with the functioning of the Government, a > strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their > part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands > are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by > those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable. It is, > therefore, with a feeling of gratification that I have noted in the > constitution of the National Federation of Federal Employees the provision > that "under no circumstances shall this Federation engage in or support > strikes against the United States Government." successful. > > I congratulate the National Federation of Federal Employees the twentieth > anniversary of its founding and trust that the convention will, in every > way, be successful. > > Very Sincerely Yours, > (FDR) > > > On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 11:47 AM, Judah McAuley <[email protected]>wrote: > >> >> On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 11:41 AM, Robert Munn <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > Whatever their benefits in the private sector, unions were never meant >> for >> > the public sector. It is a travesty that collective bargaining was ever >> > allowed, and now the states are paying for it. >> >> What makes you say that unions were never meant for the public sector? >> And why is it a travesty that collective bargaining rights were ever >> allowed? >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:334818 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
