A major union representing 150,000 U.S. government employees has filed a lawsuit to stop President Donald Trump from ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) claims that Trump’s recent executive order violates federal labor rights and the U.S. Constitution.
The order affects more than a dozen federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, State, Defense, and Health and Human Services.
It would prevent these agencies from engaging in collective bargaining, which is crucial for negotiating better pay, benefits, and working conditions.
The NTEU argues that this move is not about national security, as Trump claims, but rather an attempt to punish unions that have opposed his policies.
The order also requires agencies to stop deducting union dues from workers’ paychecks, which would significantly reduce the union’s financial resources and bargaining power.
The NTEU believes this is a deliberate effort to weaken unions that have challenged Trump’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
On the same day Trump issued his order, eight federal agencies filed lawsuits against local union affiliates to invalidate existing union contracts. These contracts protect thousands of workers and are seen as legally binding by the unions.
The NTEU is seeking a court ruling to block Trump’s order and prevent federal agencies from complying with it. The union argues that eliminating collective bargaining would make it easier for agencies to change working conditions and fire or discipline employees without challenge. This could also prevent unions from legally opposing Trump administration initiatives in the future.
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