Worker Policy Watch
Your source for accurate and reliable information on how federal policies are shaping workers’ rights—and what’s at stake for working people nationwide under the Trump administration.
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NLRB Abandons Defending the Law Barring Trump from Firing Board Members
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is abandoning its defense of a law that barred the president from removing board appointees at will, trying to giveTrump more control over the NLRB.
Impact:
The NLRB is an independent federal agency charged with the power to safeguard employees' rights to organize, engage with one another to seek better working conditions, and collectively bargaining. The abandonment of defending a law meant to maintain neutrality at the NLRB is another example of the Trump administration seeking maximum control over independent federal agencies.
Federal Judge clarifies that his injunction against Trump’s Executive Order shutting down diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and firing their workers is nationwide and applies to every federal agency
The administration is trying to dismantle federal agencies' efforts to make sure they are complying with the civil rights laws when it comes to their own employment practices as well as the work they do to administer grants and services to stakeholders.
Impact:
This injunction should reinstate public servants to their jobs and make sure that the administration can't dismantle agency efforts to comply with our civil rights laws.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is confirmed as Labor Secretary
With a bi-partisan vote of 67-32, Chavez-DeRemer becomes the Secretary of Labor.
Impact:
During her confirmation hearing, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer promised to "put American workers first," though she was short on details, and indicated support for weakening the standard to determine employee status under the FLSA. Her continued use of the term "American workers" also leaves room for doubt about how DOL will protect the rights of immigrant workers.
Mass Firings Planned for Over a Thousand Federal Workers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
As part of the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on federal agency workforces, plans are being made to fire over a thousand more workers from NOAA.
Impact:
The plans for NOAA lay out the termination of 1,029 workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration following 1,300 who have already been fired from the agency. NOAA is charged with providing daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, climate monitoring, and conducting other scientific research.
Trump Admin Issues 25K Buy Out Offer In Latest Attempt to Shrink The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Workforce
HHS workers supposedly have until March 14th to accept or reject a $25,000 buy-out offer to resign, as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signals plans for deep cuts to the department.
Impact:
The offer was sent to over 80,000 workers across HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and comes after the Trump administration’s previous executive order aimed at an aggressive and seemingly at times illegal “reduction in force” of the entire federal government and it’s workforce.
Department of Labor Probationary Workers Are Reinstated
120 previously fired probationary workers at USDOL are reinstated, according to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Union.
Impact:
The probationary firings affected the department’s Women’s Bureau, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. Several unions have challenged the probationary firings in court and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) recently orders the reinstatement of previously fired probationary U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) workers.
The Department of Homeland Security declared that it is ending the collective bargaining agreements it has with the Transportation Safety Administration, attempting to gut worker protections for TSA union members
The CBAs provide for good pay, benefits, and due process in the case of discipline or discharge. Recent improvements in the pay and benefits have been credited with improving the morale and retention of TSA employees.
Impact:
If this order stands, it would void the union rights and terms of the CBAs for approximately 47,000 workers.
Trump issues an Executive Order denying public service loan repayment to employees of nonprofit organizations that the administration believes are doing “improper” or “illegal” work
This order is a clear violation of the First Amendment in that it will deny loan repayment based on speech and expression that the current administration disagrees with.
Impact:
The public service loan forgiveness program, which is authorized by Congress, is an important program that encourages people to engage in public service careers regardless of educational debt. Many people have accepted jobs based on the promise of loan repayment and this could cause them to leave public service as well as discourage others from entering public service.
Trump administration prepares to lay off 80,000 employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs
The VA served over 9 million veterans last year, providing the highest level of care and services in its history. This order would effectively rescind all of the growth in the agency over the past four years, as the VA staffed up to handle the increase in veterans needing care and the obligations under the 2022 PACT Act, which provided care for veterans harmed by burn pits.
Impact:
More than 25% of VA staff is comprised of veterans, who provide important medical and mental health care to the veterans of our armed services.
The IRS is planning to reduce its workforce by half
Between attrition, lay-offs, and buyouts, the IRS is preparing to reduce its workforce by 90,000 people.
Impact:
Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen states that this decrease in staff would render the IRS "dysfunctional." Moreover, 56% of the IRS workforce are people of color, and 65% are women.