A handful of federal agencies are now under direct orders from the White House to terminate their collective bargaining agreements with federal unions. In a significant executive order signed on Thursday afternoon by President Donald Trump, additional agencies and their components have been added to an already extensive list of federal entities that are slated for collective bargaining cancellations.
President Trump stated that the termination of these labor contracts aims “to enhance the national security of the United States.” This action builds upon his initial executive order from March 27, which invoked a rarely used provision of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. This particular section allows the president to suspend collective bargaining agreements for national security purposes.
The White House has specified that the additional agencies now directed to cancel their collective bargaining agreements all have missions closely related to national security. Among the agencies affected are NASA, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the National Weather Service, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, both of which fall under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Bureau of Reclamation's hydropower program and the Patent and Trademark Office’s commissioner of patents office are also included in this list.
President Trump’s executive order emphasizes that these newly added agencies and components have “as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative or national security work.” This move aligns with the overarching theme of Trump's administration to prioritize national security over union rights.
The response from federal unions has been swift. Everett Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), announced that the union would provide an “immediate response” to Trump’s new executive order. He vowed to continue fighting in court for the rights of union members. Kelley criticized the executive order, stating, “This latest executive order is another clear example of retaliation against federal employee union members who have bravely stood up against his anti-worker, anti-American plan to dismantle the federal government.”
He further expressed concern about the impact on agencies like NASA and the National Weather Service, which he believes have already suffered from “reckless cuts.” Kelley described the administration's actions as immoral and abhorrent, arguing that they further disenfranchise remaining workers under the guise of efficiency.
This new executive order follows months of efforts by the Trump administration to erode union rights for federal employees while also restructuring civil service protections more broadly. In a fact sheet issued on Thursday, the White House argued that collective bargaining at agencies involved in national security “can create delays in agency operations.”
The administration maintained that President Trump is taking necessary actions to ensure that agencies crucial to national security can carry out their missions without unnecessary delays, ultimately protecting the American people. The White House stated, “The President needs a responsive and accountable civil service to protect our national security.”
However, federal unions contend that collective bargaining actually benefits agency missions rather than detracting from them. Many have pointed out that Trump's orders have affected several agencies whose missions are unrelated to national security. Consequently, multiple federal unions, including the AFGE, have filed lawsuits against the administration in response to these actions.
As of now, several lawsuits remain ongoing, and a number of agencies have already begun the process of terminating their union contracts following a favorable appeals court decision that allowed them to implement Trump's orders from March. Notable departments such as Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services have recently “de-recognized” several of their federal union chapters, revoked official time, and reclaimed office space from union representatives.
