Cincinnati union leaders say they’re worried for employee protections following President Trump’s executive order to end collective bargaining for swaths of federal workers.
The president signed an executive order late Thursday to end collective bargaining with federal unions in agencies dealing with “national security missions.” Those include the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Treasury, and more.
The White House said in a fact sheet “hostile Federal unions” are obstructing agency management. It said the president took action so agencies can “execute their missions without delay.”
A response of 'immediate legal action'
Nina South is executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2031, representing Veterans Affairs workers in Cincinnati.
The union has a labor contract with the VA.
“It's a binding contract,” South said. “If we're doing things legally and appropriately, then they would not be able to just stop our right to bargain.”
She says without collective bargaining, unionized employees won’t have protection from at-will firings or help navigating disputes with managers.
“It just gives management full autonomy. They can do whatever they want to do and not be called to question,” South said.
The union says it is preparing “immediate legal action."
“We have no intention on stopping and we have no intention on giving up,” South said. “This is only just the beginning. We're in it for the whole fight.”
The American Federation of Government Employees, which is the largest federal worker union, has challenged several of Trump’s executive orders in court. A recent ruling on a lawsuit brought by the union resulted in the re-hiring of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration, according to NPR.
Effects could ripple to non-government unions too, leader says
Michael Ottlinger is president of the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 279, representing EPA employees in Cincinnati.
He says he thinks this executive order won’t only impact federal labor organizations.
“This is intended, down the road, to impact all of the unions,” Ottlinger said. “They want to crush unions. They want to crush the labor movement. It doesn't matter what your union is, whether you're a federal union or not, they intend to crush you. They don't want unions interfering in their business.”
NTEU says it will “vigorously challenge” the order in court.
Ottlinger says the local NTEU chapter is also considering action with other federal employee unions to oppose the order.
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