“Why are we being singled out? We are just like everyone else, and that’s how we want to be treated.” That’s what the lead negotiator of the Space Workers Union, Lee Watson, told reporters as he emerged from closed-door contract talks this morning. He went on to say, “With today’s technology we can virtually attend meetings, complete paperwork online and even virtually participate in space travel. There is no reason to have to go to the office anymore. Having to travel all the way to the office and back everyday is asking a lot especially since leaving the earth virtually is just a laptop away.”

Working from home. It’s been a point of contention in labor negotiations between government and its unionized employees for years. Employees have resisted being forced to come back to the office while employers are insisting that being at the office is still an expectation worth keeping. With the pandemic, many workers were encouraged to work from home and it has been a difficult transition for them to return to the worksite especially when it’s on Mars. Watson points out that, “Our employer has never adequately factored in our commute time to the worksite in our present contract. This has to change.”

Although talks have resolved a lot, there are still some issues that remain outstanding like coffee breaks during moon walks and bathroom accessibility in zero-gravity conditions. .