IFPTE Federal Sector Round Up on
Trump/Musk and DOGE Attacks on Federal Workers
IFPTE kept up our legislative efforts this week on Capitol Hill urging the Senate to follow the House’s lead by introducing a Senate companion bill to the HR 2550, the Keep America’s Workforce Act, which is jointly sponsored by Republican Congressman, Brian Fitzpatrick and his Democratic colleague, Representative Jared Golden. Unfortunately, there has yet to be a Republican in the Senate to step up and offer to co-introduce the bill with Virginia Senator, Mark Warner. As we continue to push for the Senate bill, IFPTE is also moving forward in support of a House discharge petition to bring HR 2550 straight to the House floor, as it has eclipsed over 50% of House support with 222 bipartisan cosponsors. The bill will reverse the Trump Administration’s union busting executive order denying collective bargaining rights to over 1 million federal workers, including thousands of IFPTE-represented workers, while eliminating union payroll dues deduction. IFPTE will continue to keep Locals apprised of the status of the discharge petition and the Senate companion bill.
Meanwhile, the finer details of President Trump’s budget proposal impacting agencies like NASA and NOAA have been released. In what can only be described as an all-out assault on federal investments in science, the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Trump request seeks to slash the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) budget by over 46% and the total NASA budget by 24.4%. In response IFPTE penned a letter to key Congressional appropriators requesting that they ignore the Trump budget request and instead increase NASA’s FY26 science budget to $9 billion, up from $7.3 billion in FY25. IFPTE also asked appropriators to reject the President’s proposed $346 million cut to Aeronautics, the $531 million cut to Space Technology, and a $143 million cut to defund the Office of STEM Engagement in its entirety, while requesting that specific language be included in any NASA funding bill that provides for the continuation of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). More on this issue is in the Recap.
IFPTE also continues to work in coordination with the larger labor movement against the House’s budget reconciliation bill aimed at extending the Trump tax cuts for billionaires and corporations and paying for these cuts by throwing tens of millions of Americans off their healthcare and food assistance. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its score of the bill, finding that if passed in its current form it will add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years and throw 11 million people off of their healthcare due to the $698 billion in Medicaid cuts. The bill also calls on federal workers to ‘voluntarily’ take a 5% pay cut just to avoid working in an ‘at-will’ workplace, and slashes food assistance program funding by $267 billion. For those that are wondering, this is the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” that Speaker Johnson and the House majority continue to falsely claim doesn’t eliminate healthcare and food assistance for millions. While Speaker Johnson and other supporters of the legislation continue to mislead the public, the CBO score tells a completely different story – ‘the numbers don’t lie’. The Senate, for their part, has not accepted the House bill and is said to be working on their own budget reconciliation bill. That is exactly where IFPTE and other Unions are targeting their current legislative efforts. We thank the many IFPTE Locals and members who continue to work on this and will keep you all posted as this legislation moves through the Senate.
On the legal front, this week the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a huge win for the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ/IFPTE Judicial Council 2). The ruling revived a case brought by the NAIJ against the Department of Justice’s ‘gag order’ imposed on Immigration Judges. After the lower court found that the NAIJ had to first go to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) before suing in federal court, the latest Appeals Court decision questioned whether the MSPB and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) were still functional given the Trump Administration’s attacks on them, writing that, “When the Civil Service Reform Act functions as designed . . . the National Association of Immigration Judges would be required to bring its case through its administrative scheme… It is not clear, however, that the Civil Service Reform Act is currently so functioning.” As such, the court may have provided a basis for future wins for federal unions, including IFPTE, by acknowledging the fact that bringing an issue to a broken system for a resolution is futile. Here is a link to the Court’s decision.
At the grassroots level, IFPTE International and Locals are building support for federal workers and federal unions across the labor movement. For example, Local 12 President, Tiera Beauchamp, continues meeting with Unions in Washington state to tell the story of the challenges that federal workers and their unions are facing. Just this week, Tiera met with the Washington Education Association (WEA) and is expected to procure a letter of Solidarity from them in the coming days. We will report more on that next week. Also, at the annual SPEEA council meeting and convention held in Seattle last weekend, Tiera and Local 8A President, Nick Tolimieri, met with and discussed these attacks with SPEEA members firsthand. Finally, Eastern Federal Area VP/Local 1921 President, Ben Emmel, along with IFPTE President Matt Biggs and IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, addressed the Society of United Professionals (SUP/IFPTE Local 160) board this week to also update them on the situation facing our federal sector Sisters, Brothers and Siblings. Indeed, the Solidarity across the IFPTE is impressive and strong.
Finally, IFPTE continues to roll out the EDues program with Locals 121 and 1 being the first Locals to start signing up members. There are several other Locals lined up to join the program in the coming weeks. Of course, this became necessary because of President Trump’s Executive Order eliminating union dues payroll deduction across most federal agencies. We again thank all the Locals across the IFPTE family that stepped up to support IFPTE’s federal sector by contributing to the set-up cost of the EDues system. THANK YOU is again to Locals 1, 20, 21, 70, 160, 162, 194, 195, 1921, and 2001 for your generous contributions to the EDues program!
Legislative:
1) The Protect America’s Workers Act (HR 2550) introduced last month by Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Democratic Rep. Jared Golden to repeal the Trump Executive Order (EO) eliminating collective bargaining rights for 1.5 million federal workers, now has 222 cosponsors, representing more than 50% of the House of Representatives. This means that IFPTE and labor can now pivot to working to get these cosponsors to sign a discharge petition to force a full vote of the House of Representatives. A discharge petition is needed because despite the overwhelming support for the legislation, House Speaker Mike Johnson will not schedule the bill for consideration. See IFPTE’s letter supporting the House bill.
2) Legislative Director Faraz Khan continues to work with key Senators to procure a similar bill to the Fitzpatrick-Golden bill in the Senate, and IFPTE anticipates a bill to be introduced in the coming days, with Virginia Senator Mark Warner expected to author the Senate version of the bill. Please continue to Call your Congressional Representative and ask them to cosponor the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act.
3) Tell Congress: Hands Off Federal Employees’ Retirement Benefits and Merit System Protections. IFPTE and the larger labor movement’s legislative efforts were successful in getting the FERS pension cuts for federal workers removed from the House-passed budget reconciliation package. However, the fight is not over, as this issue now moves over to the Senate. As reported in The Hill this week, Senate support for the draconian House bill is not certain. In other words, we need to shift our focus to Senate lawmakers and tell them, “hands off” of our retirement benefits. Slashing retirement benefits and reducing the take-home pay of federal workers will trigger an exodus of experienced and skilled federal workers and hollow out agencies that provide essential services and functions. Congress needs to hear from everyday Americans that lawmakers should be preserving the government’s ability to recruit and retain the best talent America has to offer to address the challenges our nation faces, support our national security and economic prosperity, provide the American people with high-quality services, and keep our communities safe. Email Your Senators and urge them to oppose any cuts to federal employees’ retirement benefits, any reductions to take-home pay, and any effort to force newly hired federal employees to choose between pay and civil service protections.
4) IFPTE continues to ask lawmakers to cosponsor HR 3093, The “Restoring Employment and Hiring Incentives for Removed Employees Act” or REHIRE Act to rebuild the federal workforce by providing a hiring preference for federal workers who were fired or otherwise involuntarily removed during the Trump Administration, and; HR 3094, the ‘‘Probationary Reduction for Employee Protections Act’’ or PREP Act would clarify that federal employees who are new to the competitive service have a 1-year probationary period, and employees who are moving to a new competitive service position from another position will have a 6-month probationary period. Both bills are authored by Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), and IFPTE is encouraging Locals to also urge their House members to cosponsor these bills.
Legal:
In a victory for the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ/IFPTE Judicial Council 2), this week the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a huge win by reviving a First Amendment case brought by the NAIJ against the Department of Justice’s ‘gag order’ imposed on Immigration Judges. The DOJ policy required pre-approval by the agency for any immigration judge to speak on “official matters,” including for any union officials acting in their union capacity on behalf of the immigration judges’ unit. The district court had found that the NAIJ had to first go to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) before suing in federal court; and dismissed the case. However, the 4thCircuit decision recognized the current state of affairs throughout the civil service system and questioned whether the MSPB and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) were still functional given the Trump Administration’s attacks on them. In her opinion, Judge Berman wrote,
“The Civil Service Reform Act requires a strong and independent Merit Systems Protections Board and Special Counsel. That foundational principle, that functioning and independent bodies would receive, review, and decide in the first instance challenges to adverse personnel actions affecting covered federal employees, has recently been called into question. Because Congress intended for the Civil Service Reform Act to strip district courts of jurisdiction only if federal employees were otherwise able to receive adequate and independent review of their claims, we vacate and remand to the district court to consider whether the text, structure, and purpose of the Civil Service Reform Act has been so undermined that the jurisdiction stripping scheme no longer controls.”
As such, the court has helped clear a path for federal unions arguing against so-called “channeling” to the FLRA, OSC, and MSPB by acknowledging the fact that bringing an issue to a broken system for a resolution is futile. Here is a link to the decision.
In other news on the legal front:
1) The Ninth Circuit has denied the government’s request to stay the Northern District of California’s preliminary injunction blocking Executive Order 14210 (the RIF order). The White House has appealed to the Supreme Court. The preliminary injunction granted on May 22nd stated that President Trump cannot implement mass layoffs of federal workers without the approval of Congress which created these agencies. “Presidents may set policy priorities for the executive branch, and agency heads may implement them. This much is undisputed,” said Judge Susan Illston for the Northern District of California in her May 22 decision. “But Congress creates federal agencies, funds them, and gives them duties that—by statute—they must carry out. Agencies may not conduct large-scale reorganizations and reductions in force in blatant disregard of Congress’s mandates, and a President may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress.” The ruling is an extension of the two-week temporary restraining order (TRO) she previously issued on May 9th. This means the 22 agencies named in the lawsuit are prohibited from implementing their planned layoffs until the case is resolved.
The restraining order applies to the following agencies: OMB, OPM, DOGE, USDA, Commerce, Energy, HHS, HUD, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, Transportation, VA, AmeriCorps, EPA, GSA, NLRB, NSF, SBA, and SSA and their efforts to implement or enforce sections 3(c) and 3(e) of Executive Order 14210 or the February 26, 2025 OMB/OPM Memorandum.
In addition, plaintiffs this week sought an emergency status conference for “apparent noncompliance” with a federal judge’s preliminary injunction barring officials from carrying out large-scale reductions-in-force. At least two federal agencies — the State Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development — have “continued to implement” President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14210 despite U.S. District Judge Susan Illston’s preliminary injunction barring them from doing so. This, among other cases, moves in the direction of a constitutional showdown and we will be watching closely and ready to mobilize.
2) IFPTE is a co-plaintiff in a RIF case in D.C. District Court covering all our Locals, including DOD. As we previously informed you, plaintiffs’ requests for a TRO and PI were rejected by the court. This case is still pending on the merits; the government filed a motion to dismiss on May 15. Here is the amended complaint. We will keep Locals updated as this litigation continues.
3) A DC Circuit Appeals panel issued a 2-1 decision lifting the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against President Trump’s union busting. The May 7th injunction on the Trump union busting EO in the NTEU lawsuit was unfortunately lifted on May 16th by a three-judge appeals panel in the DC Federal Circuit. The 2-1 majority decision lifting the restraining order ruled that the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) did not prove damages to the Union, even though the EO caused the immediate elimination of payroll union dues from federal union members to their Unions, including IFPTE. See the NTEU lawsuit here.
4) More lawsuits to come – As part of the overall litigation strategy, IFPTE is part of a coalition of unions joining together to file an additional lawsuit against the Executive Order in a venue to be determined. We thank those Locals that have already provided information to our Legal Department and ask that Local leaders continue to do so as we prepare. Please contact IFPTE General Counsel Teresa Ellis at tellis@ifpte.org with any pertinent information regarding specific impacts from the imposition of the EO.
5) IFPTE RIF guidance to Locals – Please see the March 11 memo from IFPTE GC, Teresa Ellis, and Greg McGillivary of McGillivary Steele Elkin regarding Reductions-In-Force (RIFs) and Mass Terminations of Federal Employees. OPM, OMB and DOGE mandated that federal agencies produce RIF lists by April 14. RIF guidance memo here.
- See the February 26 OPM memo instructing agencies to largely ignore RIF language in union negotiated CBA’s and calling on agencies to identify positions to RIF by April 14. IFPTE recommends that Locals file grievances if management refuses to abide by negotiated RIF language in their respective CBAs.
6) Legal support for federal workers – Rise Up, Fight Back – Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have had their basic rights violated on the job—including tens of thousands who have been fired illegally. Federal workers have an urgent need for legal support. Federal workers now have a network of lawyers helping to get them the justice they deserve. See the GovExec article here. 7) Status of all lawsuits against the current administration can be found at Just Security: “Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
Grassroots:
1) “Civil Service Strong” coalition – IFPTE has partnered with the Civil Service Strong project of Democracy Forward, along with other unions, to support our members who are civil servants under attack by the Trump administration. Alongside the 95% of people who believe civil servants should be hired and promoted based on their merit rather than their political beliefs, Civil Service Strong is committed to supporting a career, non-partisan civil service and the people who power it. Learn more here.
2) MAKE A CALL – Restore Federal Employee Rights Now – IFPTE joins the AFL-CIO campaign asking every single American who cares about the fundamental freedom of all workers to join a union to call their member of Congress right now. Fill out the form on the right to receive a call or dial 844-896-5059. Learn more here.
3) IFPTE Members are telling their Congressional lawmakers: “Hands Off Federal Employees’ Retirement Benefits and Merit System Protections” – Don’t allow millionaires and billionaires in Congress and the White House use federal employees as a cost offset for budget reconciliation legislation. Learn more here… https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-hands-off-federal-employees-retirement-benefits-and-merit-system-protections/
Public Relations and Communications:
Last week, IFPTE federal news updates subscribers received a special clips edition that covered Elon Musk’s departure from the administration, with articles on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s report about how Musk leveraged his position for personal gain and the AFL-CIO’s recent action in the labor movement’s effort to undo some of DOGE’s worst actions.
This upcoming week, the clips will feature an in-depth look at the many aspects of graft and corruption in the Trump administration, as well as another update on the legal pushback against the attack on workers’ rights and the rule of law. To sign up for clips, please fill out this form: https://www.ifpte.org/federal-news-clips
IFPTE Local 400 