Trump Administration Launches Biggest Attack on Federal Workers’ Unions in U.S. History
The Trump administration has delivered a stunning blow to federal workers, unilaterally terminating hundreds of thousands of union contracts after a federal appeals court lifted an injunction that had temporarily blocked the plan. According to the White House, this is only the beginning.
In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at canceling all collective bargaining agreements for most federal employees, citing national security concerns. The move threatens to strip more than one million federal workers of their collective bargaining rights.
400,000 Federal Workers Already Affected
Following the appeals court’s decision earlier this month, union contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Agriculture were immediately terminated. In total, around 400,000 workers – about 2.6% of unionized employees nationwide – have been directly affected.
Union leaders are sounding the alarm. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), blasted the administration’s actions:
“This is a fight for the very democracy of this country. If Trump succeeds in dismantling AFGE, he’ll come after every labor organization in America—and we believe he will.”
White House Response
Taylor Rogers, White House assistant press secretary, defended the move, saying the appeals court decision confirms Trump’s “lawful executive authority to protect America’s interests.” He added that the administration will continue eliminating collective bargaining agreements in agencies tied to national security functions.
The AFGE, which represents over 320,000 employees at the VA, received notice on August 6, just five days after the ruling, that all union contracts had been terminated.
But critics warn the move is unprecedented. Naveed Shah, political director of Common Defense and a U.S. Army veteran, declared:
“There has never been a cancellation of union contracts on this scale in U.S. history. If the workers and veterans at the VA aren’t safe, then no worker—public or private—is safe.”
Workers Speak Out
For VA employees, the cancellation is devastating. A nurse in Queens, New York, who requested anonymity, said:
“They’ve created division, anxiety, and uncertainty in our daily lives as government employees. This is the first step in a broader attack on the working class in government.”
The nurse emphasized that workers had won critical rights—like the eight-hour workday, sick leave, and fair promotions—through unions.
“With this administration’s actions, they’ve taken that away. They’re politicizing the workforce and undermining the very care veterans deserve.”
A “Canary in the Coalmine” Moment
The assault didn’t stop with the VA. On August 8, workers at the EPA also received notice that their union contracts had been voided.
Justin Chen, president of AFGE Council 238, which represents 8,000 EPA workers, compared the move to the 1981 PATCO strike, when President Ronald Reagan fired 12,000 striking air traffic controllers:
“This is the greatest attack on labor rights since PATCO—and this is much worse. We’re the canary in the coalmine for the rest of America’s working class.”
The Fight Moves to Congress
Despite the legal setback, unions are pushing back. The AFGE is backing the Protect America’s Workforce Act, a bill with 222 cosponsors in the House, including seven Republicans, which would restore collective bargaining rights to federal workers.
Meanwhile, critics say the administration is ignoring its own internal guidance. An April memo from the Chief Human Capital Officers Council advised that union contracts should not be terminated until ongoing litigation concluded. Yet the administration moved forward anyway.
For union leaders, the motivation is clear.
“This administration views us as a threat to their authoritarianism,” said Chen. “We represent workers who swore to uphold the Constitution and serve the public—not politics. That’s why they’re targeting us.”
A Historic Power Grab
By canceling union contracts at agencies like the VA, EPA, and Agriculture Department, the Trump administration has escalated what labor leaders call the largest attack on workers’ rights in modern U.S. history.
And as critics warn—if this move stands, no union in America is safe.