Pappas Helps Pass Bipartisan Legislation to Restore Federal Workers’ Union Rights
Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) helped pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act (PAWA), bipartisan legislation to repeal a presidential executive order that stripped union rights from roughly 1 million federal workers. Today’s vote follows a bipartisan effort to build support for the legislation and to garner 218 signatures on a discharge petition, which forced Speaker Mike Johnson to bring a motion to discharge the bill to the floor yesterday. Today the House voted on the underlying legislation, passing it 231-195.
"President Trump’s Executive Order stripping federal workers of their right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages, safe conditions, and full benefits is a direct attack on working families. I vowed to fight this order and do everything possible to protect workers, and was proud to help force a vote on this legislation and pass it through the House today,” said Congressman Pappas. “But our work doesn’t stop here. Unions built the middle class in this country and play a critical role in advocating for all American workers. There is more we must do to ensure all workers can stand together and use their collective power to negotiate, and I will continue fighting to fully enshrine those rights in law.”
Background:
President Trump’s March 27 Executive Order, “Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs,” sought to end collective bargaining with unions at the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Energy, and some workers at the departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Agriculture. The order affected around a million federal workers, of whom roughly one-third are veterans.
In April, Pappas cosponsored the Protect America’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation to nullify this Trump administration Executive Order and restore collective bargaining rights for affected federal employees.
The Protect America’s Workforce Act has support from a wide range of unions representing federal employees, including: the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the United Steelworkers (USW).
In April, Pappas also cosponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, bicameral legislation to guarantee the right of public-sector employees to organize, and in March, Pappas helped reintroduce H.R. 20, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The PRO Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan proposal to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.