Social Security Executives Force New Contract on Administrative Law Judge Union

Government Executive: Officials at the Social Security Administration informed the union representing administrative law judges Thursday that it is unilaterally implementing a new management edict, effectively voiding an existing collective bargaining agreement.

In an email to officials at the Association of Administrative Law Judges, SSA Associate Commissioner in the Office of Labor-Management and Employee Relations Ralph Patinella justified implementing a new unilateral CBA that made changes to nine contract provisions by saying the union, which is associated with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, “declined to bargain” on implementation of the Trump administration’s recent workforce executive orders.

Read article