- 3

Non-appropriated Fund Activities

Slight increases over 1975 in all major categories characterized Non-appropriated Fund activities. Recognition units increased by 3 (1 percent) to 290, and employees covered reached 64,409, up by 586 (1 percent) over the previous year.

There were 220 agreements covering 53,393 employees

of 2 percent in each category.

increases

More detailed statistics will appear in a forthcoming CSC Bulletin. In addition, a book titled Union Recognition in the Federal Government-November 1976 will be published subsequently, containing a complete listing of all recognitions in the Executive Branch, Government-wide, including the Postal Service.

Employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Foreign Service at State, USIA and AID, as well as foreign nationals employed at installations outside the United States are not covered by the executive order and are not included in these statistics.

Attachments

Grps. OPA-6-15 and 22, AO

1

EXCLUSIVE RECOGNITIONS AND AGREEMENTS, By Major Union, November 1976

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' POLITICAL ACTIVITIES ACT

OF 1975

PART I

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON

EMPLOYEE POLITICAL RIGHTS AND
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON

POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H.R. 3000

A BILL TO RESTORE TO FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES
THEIR RIGHTS TO PARTICIPATE, AS PRIVATE CITIZENS,
IN THE POLITICAL LIFE OF THE NATION, TO PROTECT
FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES FROM IMPROPER POLITI-
CAL SOLICITATIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' POLITICAL ACTIVITIES

ACT OF 1975

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1975

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMPLOYEE POLITICAL RIGHTS
AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met at 10 a.m. in room 210, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. William Clay (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN WILLIAM CLAY

Mr. CLAY. The hearing will come to order.

This morning the Subcommittee on Employee Political Rights and Intergovernmental Programs begins the first of several days of public hearings on H.R. 3000, the Federal Employees Political Activities Act of 1975, and related legislation.

The Hatch Act (secs. 7321 through 7327 of title 5, U.S.C.) limits the campaign contributions and prohibits coercion of employees of the Federal Government; promises of employment or threats of deprivation of employment for political reasons and active participation in political activities. Its enactment in 1939 was a congressional effort to prevent improper political pressure upon Federal civilian employees. Given the conditions of the time, its enactment assured a competitive, classified merit system which inspired public confidence. It also protected these public servants from undue political influence by overzealous superior officials.

In the 35 years that have passed since the enactment of the Hatch Act, little has been done to bring the law into conformity with the problems, opportunities and realities of the 1970's. The vagueness of the act leads many Federal employees to "play it safe" by not becoming involved in political activities. The act tends to infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech and free associa tion by Federal employees. Indeed, the sad and cruel reality is that the act systematically denies meaningful political participation to a select group of people-Federal civilian and postal employees.

Of course, it is essential to preserve integrity in governmental affairs and to maintain and to develop an impartial civil service. It is possible to do so while broadening and more explicitly defining the extent to which Federal civilian and postal employees may participate in the political process. A balance can and must be struck between these two imperatives.

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