House Majority Forces Vote to Restore Federal Employee Collective Bargaining Rights

A bipartisan bill, the Protect America’s Workforce Act, is now guaranteed a full House vote after a majority of lawmakers (218) signed a discharge petition. The legislation aims to overturn the Trump administration's executive orders that stripped collective bargaining rights from most federal employees.

• Legislative Action: The discharge petition, signed by a majority including Republican Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick Lalota, forces the vote. The bill is led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine).
• Trump Administration Policy: President Donald Trump issued executive orders in March and August 2025 barring unions from bargaining at agencies deemed to be primarily involved in national security. This affects an estimated 67% of the federal workforce, including the Departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Energy.
• Legal Challenges: Multiple unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), have sued the administration. A federal judge initially blocked the order, but an appeals court stayed that decision, allowing agencies to cancel agreements.
• Selective Enforcement at the VA: AFGE's National VA Council has filed a lawsuit alleging the VA Secretary Doug Collins selectively targeted unions that opposed the administration's policies while sparing others.
• Support for the Bill: Supporters like Rep. Lawler argue that restoring bargaining rights "strengthens our federal workforce and helps deliver more effective, accountable service." AFGE President Everett Kelley praised the bipartisan effort, emphasizing that collective bargaining gives employees a voice to improve government.
• Other Legislative Efforts: A separate bipartisan bill is also being advanced to specifically restore collective bargaining rights for VA employees, led by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).
• Upcoming Court Dates: Federal courts in D.C. are scheduled to hold proceedings next month in the lawsuits filed by NTEU and other unions.

Author: Jory Heckman
Source: federalnewsnetwork