Trump order aims to outlaw most government unions on 'national security' grounds

[douglas9]

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order purporting to outlaw collective bargaining across two thirds of the federal government, citing a little-used provision of federal labor law relating to national security issues.

A fact sheet announcing the policy document says that Trump cited a rarely used provision of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act allowing the president to exclude agencies and agency subcomponents from collective bargaining rules if the rules “cannot be applied to that agency or subdivision in a manner consistent with national security requirements.”

Trump first considered using this authority in early 2020, granting then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper the ability to exclude the Pentagon from federal labor law. Following bipartisan pushback in Congress, Esper elected not to use the authority.

According to the White House, Trump’s edict “ends collective bargaining” with unions at the Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy departments, as well as portions of the Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Interior and Agriculture departments.

The International Trade Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Science Foundation, International Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and General Services Administration also are no longer subject to federal labor law, nor are chief information officers’ offices across government.


https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/03/trump-order-aims-outlaw-most-government-unions-national-security-grounds/404113/

[Lovie777]

1. What bullshit...............

matter of fact, shithole musk republicans are the danger to national and homeland security.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Hello Police Unions

How ya feeling about your Trump support now?

[4th]

3. Well technically ...

Police unions are already prohibited, and you're talking about "brotherhoods" and "benevolent associations".

We'll see if that dodge still works.

[NotHardly]

4. Kidnapping people by new Nazi...

Police unions and federal law enforcement need to start wearing their Nazi uniforms because from what we have witnessed, they are the new Gestapo and wearing masks identifies their shame.

[AmericaUnderSiege]

5. Executive orders are not laws. So they can't "outlaw" anything.

I strongly recommend finding a better source that doesn't imply otherwise.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Executive Order on "Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs"

On March 27, President Trump issued an executive order that excludes agencies with “national security missions” from the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The action removes collective bargaining rights for workers at more than 30 federal agencies that involve the issues of national defense, border security, foreign relations, energy security, pandemic preparedness, cybersecurity, economic defense, and public safety. Notably, the executive order does not impact law enforcement.

Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, federal unions can bargain over a limited set of conditions of employment. The Trump administration cites having to negotiate with unions over matters of performance and changes in working conditions as threats to national security and justification to removing collective bargaining rights of federal workers. However, collective bargaining provides pathways to resolve conflicts, improve retention, and boost workplace morale.

The executive order is a direct response to the federal unions that are challenging the Trump administration’s actions. Under President Trump’s second term, his administration has issued numerous attacks on the federal workforce, many of which courts have found to be illegal. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents federal workers, is preparing to take legal action against the Trump administration over the executive order.

Impact: The executive order strips more than a million federal workers of their collective bargaining rights. These workers no longer have the right to organize with their coworkers and improve their working conditions so they can efficiently provide services the public relies on.

https://www.epi.org/policywatch/executive-order-on-exclusions-from-federal-labor-management-relations-programs/