Statement on Signing an Executive Order Concerning Federal Labor-Management Relations in the Federal Service.

I SIGNED today an Executive order [11838] putting into effect recent recommendations of the Federal Labor Relations Council, to improve Federal labor management relations. This Executive order permits consolidation of many bargaining units, increases the scope of negotiations, and removes certain arbitrary barriers to bargaining.

I am grateful for the skill and hard work reflected in the recommendations of the Federal Labor Relations Council. Labor organizations, Federal agencies, and the interested public who contributed advice also deserve to be commended.

Thirteen years have passed since the establishment of the labor-management relations program in the Federal service. It was created to give Federal employees a greater opportunity to participate in the formulation and implementation of personnel policies and practices affecting conditions of their employment. Since then, the program has made great contributions to the evolution of modern and progressive employment practices in the Federal service and, thereby, has served the public interest.

Good labor relations will continue to have high priority in my Administration. We have seldom been in greater need of cooperation in making government more effective and cohesive.