The Federal government allows unions for Federal employees. There is the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and others.

The bargaining is not over wages - although union reps do sit in on locality pay talks - but the main reason for the unions is to ensure proper enforcement of merit promotion, selection for positions, disciplinary procedures, and items like that.

Everyone in Federal government (General Schedule positions) gets the same base pay for their grade level. Wage grade positions (blue collar) are locality based and matched with equal jobs in the private sector. This is accomplished through wage surveys in different locales of the country.