Source:  POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/9/19

Employees of USDA's Economic Research Service will vote today on whether to unionize — and supporters are predicting the effort will succeed.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's controversial plan to move ERS and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture out of Washington prompted agency employees to try to form a union, and organizing began late last year. Unionization at NIFA is in the works, too. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal union, is taking the lead for both initiatives.

If the union vote passes, employees would form a collective bargaining unit and enter into contract discussions with USDA. The backing of a union would give agency staff legal standing to engage with the department on the proposed move and other issues, organizers said.

"Work conditions at ERS are deteriorating and may continue to deteriorate in the future," states aflyer announcing the vote that was distributed to USDA employees.

On the Hill: House Democrats are starting to flex their authority over government buildings and leases in the ongoing agency relocation fight, your host writes. Top lawmakers on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee say they want new details from Perdue to justify the relocation before they'll approve lease proposals for the USDA's research wing.

In a warning shot to USDA, the panel on Wednesday quashed a 2018 proposal for a new lease for NIFA. The current lease on the agency's waterfront building in southwest D.C. ends in January 2020.