Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have heeded President Trump’s call to oppose federal unions, with the HUD acting to evict union offices from agency facilities and the SSA planning to revise 21 points in the union contract. The Trump administration has proposed to freeze the pay of federal employees next year and cut retirement benefits by $143.5 billion over 10 years. His three recent executive orders have also proposed to slash “official time” used by union leaders to engage in activities for an entire bargaining unit, finds issue with collective bargaining agreements that make it difficult to hold low performers to a higher standard, and proposes being able to fire employees more quickly. The primary target has been the largest federal union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), although the National Treasury Employees Union was recently told it would need to begin paying rent for using department facilities in the Department of Health and Human Services. On Thursday, the AFGE requested a U.S. District Court preliminary injunction against the executive order cited by HUD.