‘Our unions are here to stay’

Labor decries administration’s attack on collective bargaining rights, urges action

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2025) — Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at abolishing collective bargaining rights for workers at more than two dozen federal agencies and offices, attempting to silence the voices of nearly a million working people.

It’s a bald-faced attack on workers’ right to organize and join together in union — one entirely at odds with public opinion, considering labor unions beat the President’s favorability by at least 25 points.

The executive order is one more step in the administration’s dogged pursuit of a top priority outlined in Project 2025: dismantle the federal government, leaving a skeleton structure behind and opening the door to sell off its essential functions to corporations. Stripping federal workers of their collective bargaining rights directly serves this political goal, as it’s federal unions’ actions that have presented some of the few obstacles to the destruction.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, called the order “a disgraceful and retaliatory attack on the rights of hundreds of thousands of patriotic American civil servants—nearly one-third of whom are veterans—simply because they are members of a union that stands up to his harmful policies.”

In a statement, AFGE promised legal action to challenge the order. With a workforce spread throughout the U.S., this order impacts working families in every state, including Washington.

“Over 75,000 federal employees call Washington home,” said the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO in a statement (in full, below). “They are VA nurses caring for our veterans, nuclear engineers at Hanford protecting our environment, scientists keeping our air and water clean, TSA officers keeping our airports secure, and social security administration workers making sure our seniors receive the benefits they’ve earned. Silencing the voices of the federal workers who keep our communities safe and running puts all of us at risk.”

“This executive order targets federal employees, but make no mistake; this administration is coming after the right to organize for every worker in the United States. But presidents don’t decide our fate. In this country, the people decide. With one voice, our message is clear: our unions are here to stay.”

Labor unions across the U.S. called out the President’s use of executive authority to union-bust, and vowed to fight back.

The unions that represent federal workers aren’t going anywhere.

The entire labor movement stands shoulder-to-shoulder with federal sector unions to fight these outrageous attacks on our freedoms.

We will not let Trump destroy what we’ve fought for generations to build. pic.twitter.com/mfqYZXB9TE

— AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) March 30, 2025

In the words of AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler: “The labor movement is not about to let Trump and an unelected billionaire destroy what we’ve fought for generations to build.”

The AFL-CIO is urging action to defend federal workers, and to stand up against this blatant attempt to weaken the rights of all working people.

TAKE A STAND: Use this tool from the AFL-CIO to call your congressperson and urge them to fight for federal workers’ right to organize. Stay tuned for further actions. 

.Statement from the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:

“Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate collective bargaining for nearly a million federal workers is a direct attack on our freedoms. This isn’t about national security — it’s union busting, plain and simple.

Over 75,000 federal employees call Washington home. They are VA nurses caring for our veterans, nuclear engineers at Hanford protecting our environment, scientists keeping our air and water clean, TSA officers keeping our airports secure, and social security administration workers making sure our seniors receive the benefits they’ve earned. Silencing the voices of the federal workers who keep our communities safe and running puts all of us at risk

Billionaires and the anti-worker politicians they own aren’t hiding their playbook. This executive order targets federal employees, but make no mistake; this administration is coming after the right to organize for every worker in the United States. But presidents don’t decide our fate. In this country, the people decide. With one voice, our message is clear: our unions are here to stay.”