Another Attack on Federal Workers: The Executive Order to Undermine Collective Bargaining

On January 31, 2025, President Trump issued a directive aimed at nullifying collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) signed in the final 30 days of the previous administration. Titled “Limiting Lame-Duck Collective Bargaining Agreements That Improperly Attempt to Constrain the New President,” this order specifically targets agreements that introduce new obligations, extend existing protections, or enhance worker rights.

The order instructs agency heads to reject or disapprove any CBAs not yet finalized, effectively stripping federal employees of workplace protections negotiated before the transition. The only exception? Law enforcement officers—ensuring that every other sector of the federal workforce is left vulnerable.

This is just another escalation in the ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation against federal workers. Over the past weeks, employees have faced:

 • Unauthorized outsiders taking over government networks, locking workers out of their own systems.

 • Illegally installed servers compromising employee data, emails, and privacy.

 • Mass resignation pressure through coercion, misinformation, and hostile directives.

 • The dismantling of workplace protections, including DEI programs, veteran support groups, and employee unions.

Now, even basic workplace rights negotiated through collective bargaining are being erased—a move that will further destabilize agencies and strip federal workers of essential protections related to job security, benefits, and working conditions.

This action isn’t about reform—it’s about purging career public servants and replacing them with handpicked political loyalists. The message is clear: federal employees are being pressured, intimidated, and threatened at every level to weaken the workforce and make room for unqualified, politically connected replacements.