 Executive Order Strips Collective Bargaining from Federal Workers On Thursday, March 27, President Trump issued an executive order that would eliminate the right to collectively bargain for nearly a million federal workers. While the Administration claims this action is necessary for national security, the order fails to address actual security concerns. Background The Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA), passed in 1978, was designed to ensure fair treatment for federal employees. The CSRA guarantees that government jobs are filled based on merit and provides protections against unfair treatment, unsafe working conditions, and political interference. It also ensures that federal employees have the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining to address workplace issues. The CSRA includes national security exemptions, but these were specifically intended for agencies directly involved in national security work, such as defense and intelligence. Summary of Executive Order The executive order eliminates collective bargaining for federal unions in agencies deemed to have national security missions, expanding this exemption to non-national security agencies like those in public health, veterans’ care, and food safety. Unions will no longer be able to challenge unfair workplace policies through legal or administrative channels, further limiting workers’ ability to address grievances. Potential Consequences This executive order sets an extremely dangerous precedent that could be applied to other sectors, weakening labor protections nationwide.By stripping federal employees of their ability to participate in decision-making, this order weakens oversight, hurts efficiency, and opens the door to mismanagement. Solution Federal sector unions are opposing the order through legal avenues.Representatives Jared Golden (ME) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) introduced a bipartisan bill, the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which aims to reverse the anti-worker, anti-union executive order. Steelworkers, get ready for a day of action on Wednesday, April 9. An injury to one is an injury to all – we need to stand up with our union siblings in the federal workforce and fight back against this unjust attack on their rights! Click HERE for a printable version to distribute in your workplace. If you are unable to open it properly, please try another browser.  (412) 562-2291 | www.uswrr.org |