Background Info
Federal unions are not obstacles—they are partners in good governance. Protecting the civil service, maintaining collective bargaining, and supporting fair workplace policies are not just workforce issues—they are issues of public trust, democratic accountability, and effective government.
For over 60 years, the federal government has recognized that collective bargaining is in the public interest. This principle, established by President Kennedy’s 1962 Executive Order 10988 and codified in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, has stood the test of time and partisanship. Federal employee unions do not bargain over pay and benefits (with limited exceptions), but rather over working conditions, workplace safety, and grievance procedures.
Through this process, unions provide a structured channel for employees to collaborate with management, improve operations, implement new technologies, and offer firsthand insight into what agencies need to succeed. They also help agencies remain flexible and responsive while giving Congress valuable perspectives on workforce morale, resource needs, and agency performance.
The 119th Congress must act to defend the apolitical, merit-based federal civil service, uphold collective bargaining rights, and protect the mission of federal agencies. A wave of politically driven policy changes, blanket directives, and efforts to weaken unions is undermining the federal workforce’s ability to serve the public effectively. Without action, this erosion will harm service delivery, disrupt federal programs, and reduce agency accountability—impacting every American community.
Issue Papers
Full Text and Bill Tracker
Official Letters
- Letter from GOP Members to President Trump on Collective Bargaining Executive Order
- Congressional Labor Caucus Letter to President Trump on Collective Bargaining Executive Order
- NFFE Letter to VA Secretary Requesting Exemption to Collective Bargaining Executive Order
- NFFE Letter to DoD Secretary Requesting Exemption to Collective Bargaining Executive Order
NFFE Press Releases and Publications
- Press Release: NFFE, Labor Allies Sue Trump Administration for Order Ending Collective Bargaining
- Press Release: NFFE Endorses Bipartisan Legislation to Restore Collective Bargaining Rights for Targeted Federal Workers
- Press Release: Federal Employees’ Union President Rebukes Trump’s EO Gutting Collective Bargaining Rights for Over One Million Federal Workers
- NFFE Guidance: Trump Executive Order to End Collective Bargaining
NFFE Media Citations
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