FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
House-passed NDAA Restores Union Rights for Defense Civilians
Categories:
DoD
Amendment to strike union provision pulled before vote
WASHINGTON – The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House yesterday retains a provision that would overturn President Trump’s executive order stripping nearly all Department of Defense civilian employees of their collective bargaining rights.
On March 27, President Trump excluded about 1 million federal employees from their collective bargaining rights through Executive Order 14251. In response, a bipartisan group of lawmakers approved an amendment to the NDAA in July introduced by Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey, co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, that would restore collective bargaining rights for DoD civilian employees.
Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri had introduced an amendment to strike the Norcross provision, but it was pulled from consideration before the House vote since it faced likely defeat on the House floor.
“Federal workers have had the right to organize and bargain over working conditions and personnel policy for more than 60 years – and these rights have been strengthened and expanded over the subsequent decades by both Republican and Democratic administrations,” American Federal of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said. “Collective bargaining rights help improve federal operations, enhance government efficiency, and improve agencies’ recruitment and retention efforts. Restoring these rights for Department of Defense civilian employees will help strengthen and advance our mission.”
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