AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s executive order that moved to strip federal workers of their collective bargaining rights:
One year ago today, President Trump ripped union rights away from nearly 1 million federal workers in the single biggest act of union-busting in our country’s history. The executive order was an all-out assault on workers and all who rely on the essential services they provide.
In the months that followed, the Trump administration expanded the executive order and proceeded to cancel the union contracts of hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The White House explicitly said it was to silence workers’ voices on the job—Veterans Affairs nurses, food safety inspectors, workers who ensure we have clean drinking water and care for our communities after emergencies and disasters, and more—in retaliation for their unions standing up to the administration’s illegal actions.
This order was among the most anti-worker executive actions ever taken by a president—and every single day of the past year, it could have been rescinded with a single stroke of the pen. Instead, the labor movement has used every tool in our toolbox to fight back for workers and essential services.
Our movement took the administration to court. Unions sued, won contracts back—including for TSA workers—and are fighting to defeat these actions for good. We organized a bipartisan coalition to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act in the House—the first bill in this Congress to overturn an executive order during this presidency. And we have continued to organize and win new contracts, higher wages, and dignity on the job in defiance of every anti-worker politician who tries to stop us.
Today, we call on the Senate to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act and send it to the president’s desk. As the 2026 campaign kicks into gear, the labor movement will make sure working people know about each and every broken promise—and will work to elect leaders who will help us build an economy for workers, not billionaire bosses. With nearly 70% support for unions across the country—including 9 in 10 young people—we know the American people stand with workers. We will put that solidarity into action. We will continue to fight. And we will win.
Contact: Mia Jacobs, 202-637-5018