EPA Terminates Union Contracts Following Appellate Stays

| Importance: 5/10 | Status: confirmed

The EPA terminated all union contracts on August 8, 2025, immediately after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a lower court injunction blocking Trump’s March executive order. EPA became the second federal agency (after VA) to cancel collective bargaining for its employees, affecting over 8,000 workers represented by AFGE, NAGE, and other unions. The agency claimed national security justifications despite EPA’s environmental mission. Union leaders called it “unlawful and authoritarian” and vowed court challenges.

Key Actors

Environmental Protection Agency AFGE Council 238 (8,000+ EPA workers) Justin Chen (AFGE Council 238 President) Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals NAGE, ESC, NAIL unions Trump Administration

Tags

labor-suppression epa union-busting collective-bargaining appellate-stays national-security-pretext worker-rights

Sources (3)

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