Dear John,
Congress must act now to protect the federal workforce — and the public they serve.
On March 27, Donald Trump signed an executive order to strip nearly one million federal workers of their right to collectively bargain — the single biggest act of union-busting in American history, according to the AFL-CIO. The order targets workers at over 30 federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the CDC, and the FDA — agencies that millions of Americans depend on every day.
Federal workers can’t strike. They can’t bargain over wages or benefits. All they ask for is the right to speak up about workplace conditions without fear — so they can keep doing their jobs for the American people. These include the veterans who make up a third of the federal workforce, whose service doesn’t end when they hang up the uniform.
Without protections, the skilled public servants we’ve trusted for decades are being pushed out, replaced with unqualified political loyalists. Tens of thousands have already been fired under Trump — and without collective bargaining, the rest are left defenseless. That’s why Congress needs to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act. The votes are there, but there’s just one problem: House leadership has not brought the bill to the floor.
Send a message to your Representative: Sign the discharge petition to force House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act to a vote now.
This bipartisan bill would nullify Trump’s executive order and restore union rights to federal workers — safeguarding the stability, safety, and effectiveness of the institutions that protect us all. Since the bill already has the votes to pass, the discharge petition would enable the bill to bypass committees and force a vote by the House.
Every day the House dithers on bringing this vote, Trump and his billionaire allies like Elon Musk do additional damage to these agencies that serve veterans, monitor public health, protect children, and work for the public good.
Tell your Representative: Protect the right of federal workers to unionize! Sign the discharge petition today to bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act to a vote.
Thank you for protecting the people who keep America running!
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
