Unions Sue Over Expanded Ban on Federal Collective Bargaining on National Security Grounds

Two independent federal employee unions have initiated legal action against the Trump administration following an executive order that expanded a ban on collective bargaining rights to multiple federal agencies, citing national security grounds. These orders invoke a rarely used provision of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act and exclude about two-thirds of the federal workforce from federal labor protections.

The National Weather Service Employees Organization and the Patent Office Professional Association, representing employees at NOAA and USPTO respectively, challenge the administration's justification that their work pertains primarily to national security. The unions argue that the agencies' primary functions do not involve national security tasks as defined in the executive order, pointing out the limited scope of such activities at USPTO and NOAA. The lawsuit follows earlier grievances filed by these unions concerning management's unilateral decisions affecting telework policies, which were in conflict with existing union contracts.

The case highlights ongoing disputes over federal labor rights and the scope of permissible union activities within agencies deemed critical to national security.