Summary

Donald Trump issued an executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from about 700,000 federal workers, citing a “national security” exemption in the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act.

The order targets unions at major departments, including Defense, Energy, and Veterans Affairs.

The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees condemned the move as illegal and vowed legal action.

Union leaders accused the administration of undermining workers’ rights to benefit billionaire interests and called the decree the largest union-busting effort in U.S. history.