Progress on the Protect America’s Workforce Act

Legislation to restore federal workers’ freedom to join a union crosses crucial threshold for congressional vote

WASHINGTON, D.C (November 24, 2025) — A discharge petition to force a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation to reverse an executive order that stripped union rights from 1 million federal workers, secured 218 signatures last week, requiring the Speaker of the House to bring the legislation forward for a vote.

Trump’s executive order, handed down in March, is the most egregious act of union-busting in American history. In the months since, the Trump administration has expanded the order to cover even more workers and canceled the union contracts of nearly half a million federal workers at agencies like the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services. Decimating union rights is part of a larger attack on the federal workforce that has left services for veterans, senior citizens, and kids in turmoil.

“An independent, apolitical civil service is one of the bedrocks of American democracy,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a statement. “Today, lawmakers stood up together to defend that principle and to affirm that federal workers must retain their right to collective bargaining. This is what leadership looks like.”

Photo: AFL-CIO

The Protect America’s Workforce Act, H.R. 2550, was introduced by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Jared Golden of Maine. It has 224 cosponsors in the House, with Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick Lalota of New York the 217th and 218th signatures on the discharge petition to compel a vote. Every Democratic member of the Washington Congressional delegation has likewise signed on; Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse and Michael Baumgartner have not.

“The labor movement fought back against the largest act of union-busting in American history by doing what we do best: organizing,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement. “Working people built a bipartisan coalition to restore union rights to federal workers in the face of unprecedented attacks on our freedoms.”

“Speaker Johnson has run out of excuses to delay a vote on this legislation to restore federal workers’ rights. It’s time to bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act to a vote and restore federal workers’ right to collectively bargain and have a voice on the job,” continued Shuler.

The strong bipartisan support for H.R. 2550 aligns with the broad public support for unions that has only grown in recent years. The AFL-CIO reports that more than 70% of Americans—across political lines—support unions. Meanwhile, the administration’s attacks on working families, handouts to billionaires, and failures to address the cost of living crisis have seen the President’s own approval rating plummet.

Surpassing the threshold to move a discharge petition forward is an important step to reversing Trump’s union busting. But more work is needed to ensure this essential legislation becomes law. AFGE and the AFL-CIO are encouraging union members and supporters to thank the lawmakers who stood with federal employees and to urge the remaining members of Congress to join them.

TAKE A STAND: Call and email your U.S. Representative and urge them to vote for the Protect America’s Workforce Act and restore federal workers’ union rights.