Not sure what is like in the states but here the public service is a pretty good gig. You get more working private but the conditions and package make it hard to leave.
Decisions like this put more pressure on the private sector to either increase wages, or match conditions, or risk losing more workers to the public sector. It's also easier for large unions to bargain with single employers.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/working-from-home-public-sector-union/
Is government work in the states considered good work? Are working conditions generally better, equal or worse than the private sector?