Trump’s Executive Orders Target Federal Workers
President Donald Trump has launched a direct challenge to America’s unions, particularly targeting federal employees. His latest executive order seeks to strip collective bargaining rights from nearly one million unionized federal workers. Agencies such as NASA, the National Weather Service, and the Departments of State, Defense, and Health and Human Services have been directly affected.
Citing national security concerns, Trump argues these measures are necessary to protect American interests. However, labor leaders believe these moves represent the largest attack on the labor movement in U.S. history, with potential ripple effects into the private sector.
Why Public Sector Unions Matter
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Nearly half of all unionized workers in the U.S. are employed in government roles. While 19% of federal civilian workers are unionized, only 6% of private sector workers hold union membership. This makes the public sector the backbone of organized labor in America.
Union leaders fear that if federal employees lose bargaining rights, corporations may follow the same path, further weakening worker protections across industries.
Comparison: Union Strength in Public vs. Private Sector
| Category | Public Sector (Federal Workers) | Private Sector Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Unionization Rate | 19% | 6% |
| Workers Affected | Nearly 1 million | Millions nationwide |
| Collective Bargaining | Currently under attack | Already limited |
| Political Influence | Strong but threatened | Weaker, growing slowly |
A Look Back: Reagan vs. Trump
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This isn’t the first time a U.S. president has clashed with unions. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers from the PATCO union, replacing them with new hires. That moment reshaped U.S. labor history, normalizing the hiring of replacement workers during strikes.
Union leaders now warn Trump’s executive orders could have an even greater impact than Reagan’s move, because they target a much larger group—almost a million workers.
Union Momentum Before Trump’s Orders
Despite decades of decline, unions had begun regaining momentum:
- High-profile organizing at Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, and Volkswagen factories.
- Significant contract wins at UPS, Boeing, Detroit automakers, and movie studios.
- President Joe Biden, considered the most pro-union president in history, joined a picket line in 2023, boosting worker confidence.
These victories energized workers, inspiring new union drives across industries. But Trump’s actions could halt this momentum.
Political Divide Inside Union Ranks
Interestingly, despite his anti-union policies, Trump secured 45% of union household votes in 2024, according to exit polls. While he frames tariffs as a way to protect American jobs, his labor policies—such as firing a member of the National Labor Relations Board and restricting automatic union dues collection—undermine union power.
What’s Next for American Unions?
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Federal unions have already filed lawsuits against Trump’s executive orders, with mixed results so far. Labor leaders vow to continue fighting both in the courts and in the workplace.
The stakes are high: if private employers take Trump’s federal strategy as a green light to dismantle unions, the U.S. labor movement could face its most serious crisis since the Reagan era.
Yet union leaders remain defiant. As Matt Biggs of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers put it:
“Workers in this country are angry. The unions are not going anywhere. We’re becoming stronger.”
Final Thoughts
Trump’s executive orders represent a pivotal moment in U.S. labor history. For many, this feels like a test case for the future of union power in both public and private sectors. Whether this becomes the beginning of the end—or a rallying point for a new era of labor organizing—will depend on how workers and unions respond in the months ahead.
