FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2025
June 13, 2025
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-639-6405/202-374-6491
[email protected]
Largest Federal Employee Union Urges Senate to Reject Reconciliation Bill
AFGE: ‘Big retaliation bill’ would undermine federal workers’ rights and bankrupt unions
WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees is denouncing provisions of the Senate’s reconciliation bill that would undermine federal employees’ workplace rights and the ability of labor unions to represent their members.
Sen. Rand Paul, chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on Thursday introduced new sections of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” that target federal workers and their unions.
“This so-called reconciliation bill is in fact a big retaliation bill – retaliation against AFGE and other unions for successfully standing up for our members and fighting this administration’s illegal attempts to obliterate our federal agencies and the patriotic civil servants who run our federal programs,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said.
The bill would, among other things:
- Increase new employee contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System from 4.4% to 9.4% for employees who agree to become at-will workers and to 14.4% for employees who choose to retain their civil service rights.
- Create a new tax on labor unions and other nonprofit organizations equal to 10% of the contributions they receive from federal employees through automatic payroll deductions.
- Institute new financial penalties for labor unions equal to the full cost of fulfilling their legal obligation to represent all bargaining unit employees in labor disputes, regardless of union membership, including official time and office space.
- Provide the president with 10 years of sweeping new reorganization authority, including the power to unilaterally close agencies, and provide the Office of Management and Budget with a $100 million war chest to implement these closures.
“These provisions represent a direct assault on federal employees and their labor unions and will make it that much harder for federal agencies to recruit and retain the qualified employees they desperately need to serve the American public,” Kelley said.
“Under this bill, federal employees will see their take-home pay slashed and their fundamental workplace rights obliterated. And the financial penalties will be significantly higher for employees who want to retain their rights – even though this bill would make it that much harder for employees to fight illegal termination or mistreatment because of provisions designed to weaken labor unions,” he said.
“I call on every member of the U.S. Senate to reject these draconian provisions that would undermine our federal workforce, our rule of law, and our democracy.”
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