Happy Labor Day! Death to the Unions!

[DaisyDay]

https://www.npr.org/2025/09/01/nx-s1-5515633/trump-federal-workers-labor-unions-va

The Department of Veterans Affairs was ending nearly all of its collective bargaining agreements. The agency gave labor unions just days to get out of federal buildings...

Federal employees have had the right to join unions and collectively bargain over working conditions since the 1960s. Unlike private sector workers, government employees cannot negotiate wages or strike. But through collective bargaining, they do help shape disciplinary procedures, parental leave policies, how overtime is managed and much more.

Giving workers a say in workplace policies, the thinking goes, leads to less friction in the workplace and more effective government.

But President Trump has abandoned that idea. Instead, he's argued that federal employee unions pose a danger to the country. In March, he issued an executive order ending collective bargaining rights for more than one million federal workers at about 20 federal agencies. Almost immediately, many agencies halted automatic deductions of union dues from employee paychecks, cutting off a critical source of cash flow to the unions. Just ahead of Labor Day, Trump issued a new executive order, adding about a half dozen agencies to the list.
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Is this good for the working class Americans? No.

 

[Always in His Presence]

The move will ensure VA stays focused on Veterans instead of spending millions of taxpayer dollars and approximately 750,000 hours per year on union activities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs today announced the termination of collective bargaining agreements for most VA bargaining-unit employees, a move that will make it easier for VA leaders to promote high-performing employees, hold poor performers accountable, and improve benefits and services to America’s Veterans.​

Contracts covering the roughly 4,000 VA police officers, firefighters or security guards represented by these unions will remain in place, as those occupations are exempt from the EO.

 

[Always in His Presence]

This decision is good news for Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors for several reasons:

• VA staff will spend more time with Veterans: In 2024 alone, over 1,900 VA bargaining-unit employees spent more than 750,000 hours of work on taxpayer funded union time – including some who are paid more than $200,000 a year. With no collective bargaining obligations, those hours can now be used to serve Veterans instead of union bosses.​

• VA facilities can focus on treating Veterans instead of hosting unions: More than 187,000 square feet of VA’s office and clinical space is currently being used by union representatives, free of charge. This has cost VA millions of dollars in lost rent and expenses for union bosses’ government phones and computer equipment. Today’s decision will ensure VA facilities are fully focused on helping Veterans get the care and benefits they’ve earned, instead of serving as free regional offices for unions that oppose our efforts to improve VA.​

• VA can manage its staff according to Veterans’ needs, not union demands: Labor contracts have restricted managers’ ability to hire, promote and reward high-performing employees, hold poor performers accountable and implement reforms to better serve Veterans. Today’s decision frees VA managers to act in the best interests of Veterans rather than union bosses.​