EPA ends federal union contracts

EPA moves to terminate collective bargaining agreements and stop recognizing federal unions, following a similar action at VA.

EPA ends federal union contracts effective immediately

EPA said Friday it will no longer recognize its federal unions and has terminated all collective bargaining agreements, effective immediately. The agency becomes the second federal department this week to end such agreements, after the Department of Veterans Affairs made a similar move earlier. The unions named include AFGE, NAGE and related groups, and union leaders were notified by email from EPA’s Office of Mission Support that contracts are terminated and union work may only occur outside scheduled hours. Grievance procedures under these contracts are also no longer in effect, and EPA plans to reclaim office space used by union members.

AFGE Local 238, which represents more than 8,000 EPA workers, criticized the decision as unlawful and said it would pursue legal remedies. An EPA spokesperson said the move aligns with President Trump’s executive orders and is being carried out in compliance with the law. The action follows a Ninth Circuit ruling that allowed agencies to proceed with canceling union contracts after a lower court injunction was stayed. The VA’s action, affecting more than 370,000 federal employees, was noted as a parallel move with only limited bargaining rights remaining for security personnel.

The decision represents a sharp shift in federal labor relations, testing the balance between executive power and workers’ rights. It could affect morale and how employees view their role in public service, and it may trigger legal challenges that could shape the scope of collective bargaining for years. Politically, the move heightens a debate over the reach of presidential orders and the accountability of agencies to both lawmakers and the workers they serve. The coming weeks will reveal how agencies implement space and time reallocations and whether courts or Congress will curb or sustain this approach.

Highlights

The policy shift is not just a procedural change; it tests the boundaries of how federal workplaces will function under new rules.