The top U.S. derivatives regulator is used to battling Wall Street. Now it's gearing up for a potential fight with its own employees.

In February, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) contracted to spend as much as US$420,000 on outside labor lawyers after its workers joined a union, public documents show. The CFTC retained the attorneys in case labor negotiations break down and the agency becomes embroiled in a legal dispute, said a person briefed on management's thinking who requested anonymity.

Tensions within the CFTC reached a flashpoint in December when employees grilled Chairman Timothy Massad about their compensation and benefits at an agency-wide meeting. The unrest comes at a pivotal time for the CFTC, which was transformed by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act from a regulator of mainly agriculture futures to a front-line cop of the $700 trillion swaps market.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.