Presidential Administration Launches Ever Greater Assaults on Federal Workers and Unions

The APWU stands in unwavering solidarity with our union family at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and other Federal unions, amid the grave attacks against the rights of federal workers and working people across the country.

During the first week of August, both the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unilaterally terminated existing union contracts under the guise of national security through Executive Order 14251. The VA contract covered 320,000 employees. The EPA contract covered over 8,000. These outrageous actions are not about improving services or protecting the public; they are shots fired at unions for defending working people and public services.

AFGE President Everett Kelley rightly denounced the VA’s termination as “another clear example of retaliation against AFGE members for speaking out.”

These moves disregard legal norms and existing agency guidance. The Office of Personnel Management explicitly advised against terminating any collective bargaining agreements while litigation is pending, yet these contracts were ended anyway. Furthermore, recent court decisions have merely allowed these actions to proceed during ongoing legal challenges, not legitimize them.

“These despicable anti-union, anti-worker actions aimed at the federal workforce and the necessary services they provide speak louder than words about where this administration stands concerning working people and our unions. If we don’t stand together, we will fall separately. I urge all our members to stand in solidarity with the defense of federal workers, their unions, and their voice on the job.” (See the bottom of this page for actions you can take.)

Strong unions build stronger communities; we come together in our union to enforce safe and fair working conditions as well as to preserve quality public service. Just as postal workers ensure every community, no matter how rural or isolated, gets their mail, AFGE members are on the front lines of care for our veterans, and environmental protection workers keep our air and water cleaner than it would be otherwise. These workers are experts at their jobs, with the knowledge and know-how to get veterans care in a timely and accurate manner. They know the regulations and equipment necessary to keep our air and water clean. By denying them their democratic right to negotiate for the things they need on the job, this administration is harming the employees and the critical public services they provide.

We honor the courage of AFGE members standing their ground, and we stand in solidarity with them. Their fight is our fight. Together, we remain steadfast in upholding the rights of workers, the integrity of our public services, and the democratic values, including the right to organize and negotiate, which we strive for.

What we can do:  AFGE is asking workers to call congressional offices and make sure their House representative has sponsored the discharge petition to bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act to a vote. This critical bill would overturn Trump’s union-busting Executive Order and restore collective bargaining rights to all federal workers. A discharge petition would allow the bill to bypass committees and bring a bill directly to the House floor for a vote