House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair Rep. James Comer R-Ky., speaks, Jan. 10, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House would require presidents and vice presidents to publicly disclose tax returns before, during and after …House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer fired off letters to 23 departments and agencies asking them how much of their employees’ time is dedicated to union work, as opposed to government business.
That was a reference to the Office of Personnel Management, which used to report publicly on how much official time is used but stopped doing that when President Biden took office. The government allows official time under the theory that public sector unions help agencies improve operations, such as health and safety on the job. Employees can also use official time to work on grievances, represent employees in disciplinary proceedings or lobby for changes.Lawmakers were struck by a protest earlier this year when union members showed up — in person — outside the Labor Department’s Boston office to protest having to come to work in person.