Trump Strips Union Rights from National Security Workers

27 Mar at 10:39 pm

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Trump Strips Union Rights from National Security Workers \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Trump signed an executive order ending collective bargaining rights for federal unions within agencies tied to national security. Citing a 1978 law, the order affects departments like Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice. Police and firefighters retain bargaining rights.

Trump Ends Union Rights in Federal Security Agencies: Quick Looks

Trump signs executive order targeting collective bargaining in national security agencies
Order affects key departments, including Defense, Homeland Security, and State
Move cites authority from the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Police and firefighters excluded; their union rights remain intact
Announcement made quietly Thursday, with no public signing event
Union leaders expected to challenge the order in court

Deep Look

In a major shift for federal labor policy, President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights for employees in federal agencies with national security responsibilities. The move affects some of the government’s largest and most critical departments, including Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State, and is expected to trigger significant legal and political backlash.

Signed quietly and announced late Thursday with no public ceremony, the order has already drawn sharp criticism from labor advocates and union leaders, who see the move as a targeted attack on organized labor within government institutions. At the same time, Trump administration officials are defending the policy as a necessary step to ensure that security-related agencies can operate swiftly and without union-imposed constraints.

Scope of the Executive Order: Who Is Affected

The executive order broadly reclassifies agencies with “national security missions” as being exempt from federal collective bargaining rules, effectively removing union representation and negotiation rights for tens of thousands of public sector employees. Among the impacted departments:

Department of Defense (DoD)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – particularly its border enforcement divisions
Department of State
Department of Justice
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Department of Commerce

These agencies collectively represent a vast share of the federal workforce, including civil service professionals who operate alongside military, intelligence, and border enforcement operations.

Notably, firefighters and law enforcement personnel retain their right to collectively bargain under the order, likely due to longstanding political support for these groups and their public-facing roles.

Legal Justification: The 1978 Civil Service Reform Act

The legal basis for Trump’s directive stems from the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which grants the president authority to exclude agencies or positions from collective bargaining if doing so is necessary to protect national security.

The Trump administration argues that applying this clause across a broader set of federal departments will allow agencies to move more quickly, respond to threats more efficiently, and avoid delays tied to union negotiations or disputes.

“The Civil Service Reform Act gives me the authority to take this step to ensure our security-focused agencies can operate without union-imposed restrictions,” Trump said in a statement.

Critics argue that the broad interpretation of “national security” under this order goes well beyond the intended scope of the 1978 law, and say it may be ripe for constitutional challenges in federal court.

Union Reaction: “An Unprecedented Overreach”

Labor organizations representing federal employees were swift in their condemnation of the executive order.

AFGE (American Federation of Government Employees) called the move “an unprecedented overreach that attacks the rights of hardworking public servants.”
National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said it “represents a direct assault on federal workplace protections and employee morale.”
Several groups indicated they are exploring legal action to block or reverse the order.

Union leaders argue that collective bargaining has been an essential mechanism for promoting workplace safety, fair compensation, disciplinary fairness, and employee well-being—even in national security environments.

Why Now? Timing and Political Motivation

The timing of the executive order has raised questions. It comes at a time when:

The Trump administration continues to campaign on hardline national security themes
Multiple federal agencies are struggling with staffing shortages, particularly at DHS and VA
Public discourse is increasingly polarized around government authority and labor rights

Observers suggest the move may be part of a broader political strategy to weaken organized labor—a traditional Democratic stronghold—while reasserting executive power over federal institutions.

The decision also builds on previous Trump-era actions that sought to restrict bargaining rights, cut union facility time, and speed up disciplinary action against federal workers. Some of those earlier moves were blocked by federal courts, but others were implemented successfully.

Impact on Federal Workers and Agency Operations

For federal employees working in impacted agencies, the order eliminates their union’s ability to:

Negotiate labor contracts
Challenge disciplinary actions through grievance procedures
Advocate for changes in workplace policy or conditions

It also removes an organized avenue for addressing systemic issues such as racial discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, and workplace safety violations.

Federal labor experts warn that this could lead to a decline in employee morale, increased staff turnover, and greater difficulty in recruitment, especially in high-stress, high-risk agencies like Customs and Border Protection or the VA.

Ironically, the policy could result in less stability at a time when national security agencies need skilled, experienced, and dedicated civil servants the most.

Looking Ahead: Legal and Electoral Uncertainty

Given the controversial nature of the order, a legal challenge is likely imminent. Lawsuits may argue that the executive branch is overstepping the authority granted by the Civil Service Reform Act or that the measure violates the constitutional rights of federal employees.

If not overturned, the order could remain in place through the end of Trump’s term and shape the structure of labor relations in federal government for years to come—unless repealed by a future administration.

Should a new administration take office in 2025, especially one with Democratic leadership, the executive order could be reversed or rewritten entirely. President Joe Biden, who reversed multiple Trump labor orders during his first term, has emphasized strong support for federal unions.