A group of 18 U.S. senators is encouraging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consult with the American Federation of Government Employees and other unions on a proposed agency reorganization that could affect thousands of USDA employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar spearheaded the letter to USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, relaying the lawmakers’ “serious concerns” that the department is proceeding with reorganization plans without consulting with affected union representatives and stakeholders.
“This decision to move forward without proper employee consultation will significantly impact farmers, families, and rural Americans who rely on USDA for a variety of food and agriculture related issues. We urge you to pause any further action until you commit to engaging with unions on the reorganization plan,” the lawmakers said.
In late July, USDA Secretary Brook Rollins announced plans to relocate all but 2,000 of the 4,600 employees currently stationed in the D.C. area – even though nearly 95% of USDA employees already work outside D.C. Part of the plan calls for shutting down the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, which has been the crown jewel of the agency’s award-winning research into improving our agricultural practices.
About 20 of USDA’s agencies and offices have collective bargaining agreements, many of which require pre-decisional involvement by unions on proposed changes to conditions of employment or other workplace matters. Despite this, USDA has not committed to consulting with unions prior to issuing a phased timeline for implementation – in fact, it’s proceeded to strip more than 8,000 USDA employees at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of their union contracts.
“This lack of commitment to consulting with employees under collective bargaining agreements is particularly alarming given that USDA has recently taken the drastic step of unilaterally terminating union contracts covering thousands of APHIS and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) employees,” the senators wrote.
Signing the letter, in addition to Klobuchar, were Sens. Angela Alsobrooks, Tammy Baldwin, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Richard Durbin, John Fetterman, Angus King Jr., Ben Ray Lujan, Jeffrey Merkley, Bernie Sanders, Adam Schiff, Elissa Slotkin, Tina Smith, Chris Van Hollen, Ralphael Warnock, Peter Welch, and Ron Wyden.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley thanked the senators for their support.
"AFGE represents thousands of dedicated USDA employees, and we are deeply concerned by the department’s decision to proceed with a sweeping reorganization plan without first consulting the workforce it directly affects. Our members – who provide vital services to farmers, families, and rural communities across the country – deserve a seat at the table when decisions are made that impact their livelihoods and the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission,” Kelley said.
“USDA’s failure to engage in meaningful consultation not only violates longstanding collective bargaining agreements but also undermines employee morale and the continuity of services critical to the public. We strongly support the call for USDA to pause implementation of this plan until USDA negotiates in good faith with employee unions.”
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