The Department of Justice has given a green light to National Guard members to unionize when they’re on state active duty. The federal government reached a settlement with plaintiffs in Connecticut that will allow unions around the country to support National Guard members.
“Guard members can go ahead and start setting up unions," said Josh Lefkow with Yale Law School's Veteran Legal Services Clinic. "The work now is organizing, ensuring that guard members know that they have the right to organize, and as part of the settlement, the Department of Justice have reached out to 54 National Guard bureaus letting them know of their legal position in this case.”
National Guard members have been organizing in Texas, where they were sent as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s "Operation Lone Star" — a border operation directed against immigration.
Guard members in Texas have said they’ve faced long hours and poor conditions.
“Seeking to make sure that these guard members have the right to organize and collectively bargain for better conditions," Lefkow said.
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