Lawmakers Push to Restore Federal Workers’ Bargaining Rights

A successful discharge petition initiated by U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan has garnered enough support to prompt a vote in the House of Representatives regarding a bill aimed at restoring collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Bresnahan’s office confirmed this development on September 2, 2023, marking a significant step in the ongoing effort to reinstate protections previously stripped from union workers.

The House’s discharge rule permits members to bring a bill or resolution to the floor for a vote, even if it has not been approved by a committee or lacks backing from the majority party leadership, as long as it receives at least 218 signatures. Bresnahan, a Republican representative from Dallas Township, was notably one of only five Republicans to support this initiative.

In a statement, Bresnahan emphasized the importance of collective bargaining rights, highlighting the contributions of federal workers in his district: “From the workers at USP Canaan, the most dangerous federal prison on the East Coast, to those at the Wilkes-Barre Social Security Office, our district is home to 10,000 federal workers who serve our communities every single day.” He further stated, “I support the right to collectively bargain and proudly stand with union members. It’s a cornerstone of fair labor and a strong middle class.”

The proposed legislation, known as the Protect America’s Workforce Act, seeks to reverse an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump that reduced collective bargaining protections across various federal agencies, including the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration. This executive order impacted approximately 67% of the federal workforce, affecting many veterans and career public servants in non-national security roles.

Introduced in April, the bipartisan bill reflects a growing concern over labor rights within the federal sector. In March, President Trump had moved to terminate collective bargaining with federal labor unions in agencies associated with national security, invoking authority under a 1978 law. Following this, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing parts of the executive order, ruling that it could not be applied at about three dozen agencies where employees are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union.

While an appeals court later allowed the executive order to proceed during ongoing legal challenges, the situation remains fluid. In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced intentions to revoke collective bargaining rights for thousands of federal health agency employees, further complicating the landscape for labor relations within the federal government.

The timeline for a vote in the House on the Protect America’s Workforce Act remains uncertain, but the momentum generated by Bresnahan’s petition underscores a significant push towards reinstating collective bargaining rights for federal workers. As discussions continue, the outcome of this legislative effort could have lasting implications for labor rights across federal agencies.