President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order that revokes collective bargaining rights for federal employees working in agencies tied to national security, asserting that union interference poses a threat to the efficiency, responsiveness, and readiness of vital government operations.
The order affects a wide range of federal departments and agencies whose missions are critical to homeland defense, public safety, and strategic preparedness. The administration cited authority granted under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which allows for such action when national security interests are at stake.
Which Agencies Are Affected?
The executive order targets unionized operations within agencies including:
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Department of Defense
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Department of Veterans Affairs
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
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Department of State
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U.S. Coast Guard
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Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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Department of the Treasury
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
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And other entities tied to international security, emergency response, and public health.
White House Justification: Security First
According to a senior administration memo, the move is designed to ensure national security agencies can function without bureaucratic obstruction, citing examples of unions delaying policy implementation and resisting personnel changes.
“The President must have a government that’s responsive and ready to act—not bogged down by union obstructionism,” the memo stated. “Federal employees at these agencies serve vital national interests and must be held to the highest standard of accountability and performance.”
Support for Cooperative Unions—Not Obstruction
The White House clarified that this order is not a blanket attack on all federal unions but a necessary correction to ensure that agencies with national security roles are not paralyzed by collective bargaining disputes. The administration signaled openness to working with unions that operate in good faith and do not attempt to obstruct or politicize federal operations.
Union Outrage
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, responded with fury, calling the move “a direct attack on democracy, veterans, and civil servants.” AFGE argued that many of the employees impacted are military veterans, and the executive order is meant to silence dissent and consolidate executive power.
Union leaders also warned that the move may face legal challenges and vowed to mobilize against it.
Implementation Underway
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has already issued guidance to affected agencies, instructing legal teams to begin reviewing union contracts and prepare for implementation of the executive order.
Shifting the Federal Workforce
This marks one of the most significant overhauls of federal labor policy in decades. For national security and emergency response agencies, the Trump administration is making it clear: mission readiness comes before union politics. The era of federal unions dictating terms to frontline national security agencies may be coming to an end.