We have been invoking the term “chaos” often around here lately, and it’s no wonder why. Trump’s executive order (EO) avalanche has stirred unease from a business perspective over worries that the orders could exacerbate worker anxieties, thereby giving unions opportunities to swoop in. And one of the newest EOs is no exception, as the president has aimed to eliminate collective bargaining for workers of certain federal agencies. In the process, Trump and the Office of Personnel Management signaled that existing contracts for 1 million federal workers are no longer in effect.
The Trump EO in question likely sits on shaky ground, and legal challenges are happening, as we will discuss below, but the order concerns agencies “with national security missions” and claims to find its authority without too much elaboration on why in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.
This EO will cover about a dozen agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Centers for Disease Control, and Veterans Affairs. The latter, in particular, got namechecked by Trump’s order for filing “70 national and local grievances” against the administration. As the EO states, “President Trump supports constructive partnerships with unions who work with him; he will not tolerate mass obstruction that jeopardizes his ability to manage agencies with vital national security missions.”
This EO language might not be a hit with the entire Republican party. In response, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers has come together for the Protect America’s Workforce Act. The bill is sponsored by GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who hopes to persuade Trump to retract his EO, which the lawmakers argue will “unintentionally affect government efficiency and employee morale.”
Also, in response to Trump’s EO, several unions have sued to block the order and have issued statements:
- National Nurses United called the EO “a clear attempt to intimidate us for standing up against” the administration’s “efforts to dismantle and privatize the VA.”
- The American Federation of Government Employees declared that the order “represent[s] a clear threat not just to federal employees and their unions, but to every American who values democracy and the freedoms of speech and association.”
- The National Treasury Employees Union labeled the order “a brazen, illegal attack on workers.” This union also accused Trump of attempting to shut down the union by ending dues deductions, thereby cutting off revenue.
- The National Federation of Federal Employees called the EO “an unlawful retaliatory attempt to punish federal employee unions that have been engaging in constitutionally protected speech” and “the most significant assault on collective bargaining rights” in U.S. history.
- The Service Employees International Union described the EO as “a direct attack not just on federal employees, but on all workers who seek a collective voice to bargain for a better future.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Trump has taken aim at federal unions. In 2018, an EO sought to limit the “official time” used by federal workers who are union members could devote to representational work. And last month, the Department of Homeland Security moved to eliminate collective bargaining for TSA agents at airports. Whether the new Trump EO survives remains to be seen, but until then, confusion remains.
