The "legislation recognizes that a unionized work force is not always appropriate for certain agencies or subdivisions of government," said White House spokesperson Ann Womack. Administration officials opined that "union contracts could restrict the ability of workers in the Justice Department to protect Americans and national security," reported the New York Times.

Steven Kreisberg of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees called the executive order a "very cynical use of the September 11 tragedy by an antiunion administration."

In justifying the measure, Womack pointed to the actions of previous administrations. On "national security" grounds, specific categories of workers had been excluded from legislation giving federal employees the right to join unions, she said.

A few days after issuing the order, Bush dismissed the seven members of a panel that represents federal employees in labor-management negotiations.

Bobby L. Harnage, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some 600,000 federal employees in the United States and overseas, said the dismissal of the panel without any replacements "effectively shuts down the federal collective bargaining process." Federal workers, who are not allowed to strike, have used this bargaining panel for some 25 years to resolve labor disputes.  
 
 
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