Catherwood LibraryILR School

With the ink still wet on the legislation establishing the Department of Homeland Security and giving its secretary unprecedented power over personnel decisions (see WIT's for July 10 and 30, 2002), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is asking for similarly broad powers in a 205-page bill sent to Congress. If passed in its present form, the legislation would give Mr. Rumsfeld the power to ignore civil service protections, labor rights, democratically elected unions, and the Office of Personnel Management, in deciding the fate of 470,000 civilian defense workers. Also calling for the privatization of up to 320,000 military jobs (see WIT for Nov. 4, 2002)---likely resulting in pay and benefit cuts for workers who would be rehired by private for-profit contractors---the fate of the proposal is expected to determine the future shape of the federal government.