President Donald Trump has signed an executive order exempting five federal agencies from collective bargaining requirements, citing national security concerns.
The order affects NASA, patent offices, weather services, hydropower facilities, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
The move eliminates union negotiations at agencies that Trump says perform critical security functions. It marks a significant rollback of federal employee protections established under the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s 53 hydropower plants generate electricity for 3.8 million homes. These facilities provide black start capacity — the ability to restart without external power — crucial for grid recovery after major outages.
NASA develops satellite, communications, and propulsion technologies vital to U.S. defense capabilities.
The National Weather Service and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service provide weather forecasting services to the military. NWS originated as a U.S. Army Signal Service Corps subdivision.
The Patent and Trademark Office reviews inventions under the Invention Secrecy Act. It issues secrecy orders to prevent the public disclosure of technologies that could harm national security.
USAGM operates as a public diplomacy arm supporting U.S. security interests abroad.
The White House argues that collective bargaining agreements create operational delays. Current contracts remain effective until expiration, limiting agencies’ ability to modify policies quickly.
Agencies must complete “midterm” union bargaining even for permissible changes under existing agreements. These procedures can delay “time-sensitive national security measures,” according to the administration.
Trump stated he needs “a responsive and accountable civil service to protect our national security.” The order takes immediate effect for the specified agencies.
The AFGE, the National Treasury Employees Union, and the American Foreign Service Association have all secured court-ordered injunctions against a previous executive order issued in March that effectively strips two-thirds of the federal workforce of collective bargaining rights. In July, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers also filed a lawsuit over the March order.
