Can federal employees strike

Answer 1

No, per 5 USC 7311, An individual may not accept or hold a position in the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia if he- (1) advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government; (2) is a member of an organization that he knows advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government; (3) participates in a strike, or asserts the right to strike, against the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia; or (4) is a member of an organization of employees of the Government of the United States or of individuals employed by the government of the District of Columbia that he knows asserts the right to strike against the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia.

Added: Which is not to say, that federal employees cannot join labor organizations which advocate for their rights as employees. In most cases, IF it is ever necessary to display labor dissatisfaction, they can (and sometimes DO) engage in a "work-to-rule" action.

Answer 2

By Federal law, no - government employee unions can act as an entity for grievances, disputes, and other employee related matters. However, they cannot encourage or authorize a strike, nor can employees go on strike. The risk is termination. For military members, there is a grievance system, but it remains within the chain-of-command, or in severe cases, the Judge Advocate General.

The last union to test the law was the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization on August 3, 1981. PATCO, then certified as a government union, violated the law {5 U.S.C. (Supp. III 1956) when it led its members on a nationwide strike. President Reagan, invoking elements of the Taft-Hartley Act, ordered the members back to work within 48 hours or be terminated. Only1,300 of 13,000 actually returned, believing that Reagan wouldn't terminate them.

They were wrong.

On August 5, 1981, Reagan fired the remaining striking workers and banned them from Federal service for life (this was rescinded by Clinton during his term).