In a move to push back against what has been described as union-busting policies, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and a group of bipartisan colleagues have introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act. According to Senator Cantwell's office, this legislation aims to repeal two executive orders issued by former President Donald Trump that revoked collective bargaining rights for a majority of federal employees under the banner of national security concerns.
At the heart of this bill is the goal to restore protections and collective bargaining rights, traditionally safeguarding federal employees from discrimination, retaliation, and unlawful firings. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 empowers the president to limit these agreements when national security is at stake. Trump's executive orders classified nearly two-thirds of the federal workforce as involved in national security missions, a move Senator Cantwell and her colleagues have condemned. They argued, in a letter addressed to Trump obtained by Senator Cantwell's office, that the order is "a gross overreach."
The Protect America’s Workforce Act has garnered bipartisan support with co-sponsors including Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), among others. The legislation is backed by numerous labor unions and organizations, underscoring the widespread concern for the treatment of federal employees and the status of their workplace rights.
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