Pres. Trump Has Taken Actions to Limit Union Rights For Certain Federal Agencies
Pres. Trump Has Taken Actions to Limit Union Rights For Certain Federal Agencies
President Donald Trump has taken actions to limit union rights for certain federal agencies. On March 27, 2025, he signed an executive order ending collective bargaining with federal labor unions in agencies involved in national security. This order affects departments including State, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Health and Human Services, Treasury, Justice, Commerce, and parts of Homeland Security responsible for border security. The administration stated that this move aims to prevent union activities from hindering national security operations. Unions, such as the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have opposed the order and plan to pursue legal action. 1
Additionally, on March 28, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order revoking collective bargaining rights for most federal employees, citing a provision of federal labor laws that exempts national security-related agencies. This order targets multiple federal departments, including Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, Justice, State, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Transportation Secretary also has the authority to exclude the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other subdivisions from labor rights. This action impacts approximately 67% of the entire federal workforce and 75% of unionized workers, aiming to bring the federal workforce under stricter control of the White House. Federal employee unions plan to contest the order in court, describing it as a retaliatory attack against unions that have challenged Trump’s policies. 2
These actions build upon previous efforts by the Trump administration to reduce the influence of federal employee unions. In May 2018, President Trump issued executive orders making it easier to fire under-performing federal employees, limiting the amount of official time during which unions could address grievances, and ordering the renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements. While a federal judge initially struck down most of these orders, an appeals court later reinstated them, ruling that challenges must go through the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) rather than federal courts. 3
These measures have faced significant opposition from federal employee unions and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that they undermine the rights and protections of federal workers and politicize the civil service. Legal challenges are ongoing as unions seek to defend collective bargaining rights and due process protections for federal employees.
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