EO 14251 directly targets federal labor unions, who are opposed to the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and subsequent labor terminations. This order strips union protections from millions of federal workers across more than 30 federal agencies, curtailing their collective bargaining rights and weakening labor representation within critical public institutions. This ultimately undermines workers’ rights to collectively organize for improved working conditions. In healthcare and public service settings, this not only deepens workforce disparities but also poses a significant risk to health equity. When frontline workers lose the ability to advocate for safe, fair, and supportive environments, the quality, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness of care—particularly for historically underserved populations—can be severely compromised.
A directive issued by the President that manages operations of the federal government. Executive orders have the force of law but must align with existing statutes and constitutional authority.
Who It Impacts: Federal agencies and employees, directing them on how to implement laws or carry out government functions. Executive orders can also influence businesses and individuals when they relate to issues like immigration, trade, or labor policies.
Who Is Not Impacted: Private citizens and businesses do not have to directly follow an executive order unless it leads to regulations or policies that apply to them. For example, an executive order directing federal agencies to increase renewable energy use does not mandate action from private companies, but it may influence policy shifts that eventually affect them.
Summary
Executive Order 14251 stripped the collective bargaining rights away from many federal employees who were determined by the current administration to work positions of national security. Affected agencies include the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result of this executive order, employees in these identified agencies lost the federal protection to organize, collectively bargain, and participate in union activities.
Impact Analysis
Take Institutional Action
- Join or support legal challenges by collaborating with unions (e.g., National Treasury Employees Union [link: https://www.nteu.org/], American Federation of Government Employees [link: https://www.afge.org/] that are challenging the EO in court.
- Integrate Labor Rights into Equity Agendas: Public health agencies, healthcare systems, and educational institutions should explicitly recognize worker protections as core to health equity, incorporating them into policies, curricula, and community partnerships.
- Partner with local labor leaders to document, research and publish the impacts of the reduction in federal public health employees on the health outcomes of your local community.
Associated or Derivative Policies
Policy Prior to 2025
- Executive Order 12171 (1979): Exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program (link: https://www.federalregister.gov/executive-order/12171)
- Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Act (link: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title5/pdf/USCODE-2024-title5-partIII-subpartF-chap71-subchapI-sec7101.pdf)
Additional Resources
Economic Policy Institute: Federal Policy Watch (link: https://www.epi.org/policywatch/executive-order-on-exclusions-from-federal-labor-management-relations-programs/)
Summary of AFGE Lawsuits Against Trump & How Litigation Works ( https://www.afge.org/article/summary-of-afge-lawsuits-against-trump--how-litigation-works/)
