Trump Moves to End Collective Bargaining at National Security Agencies

President Trump has ordered an end to collective bargaining for federal unions in key national security agencies, citing legal authority from a 1978 law. The decision immediately sparked legal battles and union outrage.

Key Facts:

On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order ending collective bargaining in federal agencies tied to national security.
Impacted agencies include State, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Treasury, Justice, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and parts of Homeland Security.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) represents 820,000 federal and D.C. workers and has vowed legal action.
The Justice Department filed suit on behalf of eight agencies seeking to confirm their right to end bargaining agreements.
Police and firefighter unions are not affected by the order and will retain bargaining rights.

The Rest of The Story:

President Trump’s executive order aims to strip collective bargaining rights from unions in federal agencies tied to national security functions.

This move builds on earlier steps by the administration, such as ending the TSA union’s bargaining agreement earlier this month.

The Trump administration argues the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 allows such action when national security is at stake.

The White House claims some unions have obstructed the president’s agenda and that this decision protects government operations critical to national interests.

Unions reacted harshly.

AFGE and the AFL-CIO accused the administration of retaliating against unions for opposing policy moves in court.

AFGE President Everett Kelley called the order “disgraceful,” and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler promised a legal fight.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi said filing suit in Texas was an aggressive defense of the president’s authority.

Commentary:

The idea that public sector unions should have the same powers as private sector ones has always been flawed.

Unlike private businesses, government agencies don’t go bankrupt from bad contracts—they just pass the costs on to taxpayers.

Collective bargaining in national security agencies introduces unnecessary layers of red tape.

It can hinder flexibility, slow down urgent actions, and even shield underperforming employees from discipline or removal.

This isn’t just inefficient—it’s dangerous when national security is involved.

Federal workers often enjoy benefits that most private-sector employees can only dream of—guaranteed pensions, generous paid leave, and ironclad job protections.

When you add in union-backed political activism, it’s clear that some government workers feel they can operate beyond accountability.

This executive order doesn’t remove their jobs.

It removes one layer of protection that often allows politics, not performance, to determine job security.

That’s a necessary reset.

If unions want to continue serving their members, they should focus on helping workers excel, not fighting every administrative change with a lawsuit.

Reforming federal labor practices isn’t anti-worker—it’s pro-responsibility.

The average taxpayer shouldn’t be forced to bankroll a system where government employees can’t be disciplined or fired, even if they fail to do their job or push a political agenda while on the clock.

The Bottom Line:

President Trump’s executive order takes aim at the long-standing protections federal unions have enjoyed within agencies tied to national security.

The move has sparked legal pushback, but the administration says it’s about protecting core government functions.

Stripping away union obstruction in critical federal roles may finally force a conversation about fairness, accountability, and who government really serves—the people or the bureaucracy.