The Trump administration has taken a significant step that impacts hundreds of thousands of federal employees across multiple government agencies.
According to The Hill, President Trump signed an executive order late Thursday that effectively terminates collective bargaining rights for numerous federal workers and instructs agencies to cease engagement in union negotiations.
The executive order targets agencies claimed to have national security missions, though many of the affected departments lack direct national security connections.
The sweeping mandate impacts 18 departments and their component agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Treasury, Health and Human Services, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and National Science Foundation.
The Office of Personnel Management has directed agencies to terminate their collective bargaining agreements immediately. This directive affects countless federal employees who will lose their union representation and associated protections. The administration's fact sheet claims the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act enables "hostile Federal unions" to impede agency management.
The order's reach extends beyond traditional national security agencies, raising questions about its true intent. Notably, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, whose union endorsed Trump in the 2024 election, was excluded from the restrictions. Meanwhile, the dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development was included in the mandate.
The American Federation of Government Employees strongly opposes the administration's decision. AFGE leadership shared their perspective:
Let's be clear. National security is not the reason for this action. This is retaliation because our union is standing up for AFGE members—and a warning to every union: fall in line, or else. AFGE is not going anywhere. We are fighting back. We are preparing legal action.
The OPM memo outlines significant changes to federal workplace policies. Agencies must reduce performance improvement plan periods to 30 days maximum. They are also instructed to expedite return-to-office mandates once collective bargaining agreements are terminated.
The government will cease collecting union dues, though employees may make independent arrangements for payments. This change fundamentally alters the relationship between federal workers and their union representatives. The administration's actions have effectively dismantled long-standing labor protections.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) voiced strong opposition to the executive order:
They don't have the power to breach existing collective bargaining agreements based on anti-speech discrimination, and that's exactly what's going on, and it's clear as day that they are retaliating against the labor movement.
This development coincides with significant organizational changes across federal agencies. The Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to eliminate 10,000 positions as part of a major restructuring effort. The Transportation Security Administration recently faced similar union restrictions under Department of Homeland Security leadership.
AFGE has initiated legal action regarding the TSA situation, challenging Secretary Kristi Noem's authority to terminate an existing seven-year contract. The union maintains that these agreements are binding contracts that cannot be arbitrarily dissolved.
President Trump's executive order represents a fundamental shift in federal labor relations, affecting numerous government agencies and their employees. The administration justified this action as necessary for national security, though critics argue it serves as retaliation against unions. As legal challenges mount and agencies begin implementing these changes, federal workers face an uncertain future regarding their collective bargaining rights and union representation.
