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AFGE 1658 SHUTDOWN INFORMATION

We are leaving the Shutdown page available for your information. Don’t forget that this CR is only good through the end of January. Please start to plan now in case history repeats itself. If you need any help, please contact AFGE President Zed Brown (zedrick.brown@afge1658.org) and he will assign someone to contact you.

The Fight Has Just Begun!!!

Executive Orders are written, injunctions are filed, these are appealed in court, and everything becomes cloudy and confusing. I want to walk you through where the current EO 14181 stands relative to canceling bargaining rights for federal employees.

March 2025 – Trump signed an EO directing most federal agencies to terminate collective bargaining agreements.

April 2025 – Unions file preliminary injunctions to block the EO. Courts granted stays, allowing the order to take effect during litigation.

May – Aug 2025 – The issue bounces between courts. Judges weigh national security claims against workers’ rights. Ultimately, the EO is upheld, and bargaining rights are discontinued across agencies.

Fall 2025 – Several agencies attempted to cancel union contracts outright. Some unions succeeded in blocking these efforts, but AFGE continues lobbying Congress and filing injunctions to protect members.

December 12, 2025 – After months of organizing, AFGE and allies secure a discharge petition to bypass House leadership. The Protect America’s Workers Act (HR 2550) passed the House with 231 votes, beginning the process to restore bargaining rights.

Next Steps: The bill now moves to the Senate. Even if it passes there, we must prepare to override an expected presidential veto.

We proved our collective strength when HR 2550 passed the House – Your voices made that possible!

The Senate is our next battleground, and we must show them the same commitment we showed the House.

Over the coming weeks, we need every member to send emails, make phone calls, and meet with their Senators. Tell them to support HR 2550 and protect federal workers’ bargaining rights. Together, we can push this bill through the Senate and override a veto. The fight isn’t over – it is just beginning!

Catch Up on Union Business!

If you miss any Membership Meeting, you can CLICK HERE to see the agenda and all documents discussed. DO NOT view these documents on GFE. Ensure that you receive these meeting notifications by verifying your personal email address with Echo Hunt (echo.hunt@afge1658.org)

Your Union is working to protect your rights and we have been successful in blocking several of the Executive Orders (EOs) that were meant to silence our voices. Don’t feel hopeless, contact your representative to voice your support for AFGE 1658! Call your friends who live in Republican-controlled States and have them contact their representatives! We must join together and work in solidarity. For more details, click here!

Community Movements Are Powerful! Click Here to view AFGE actions you can participate in.

Recent News

Agency Layoff’s & RIFs

The Office of Personnel Management is set to propose new regulations in the coming weeks seeking to significantly quicken the pace of agency reductions in force. The plan creates a new formula for determining which employees within a RIF are retained, based on the weighted sum of their three most ...

Lawmakers force House vote on bill nullifying anti-union EOs.

A pair of Republicans were the final signatures needed for a bipartisan discharge petition in support of legislation that would strike down President Trump’s executive orders aimed at stripping two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights. These EOs have been tied up in litigation since they were ...

Bipartisan Interest to Protect Federal Workers from Layoff

Congress is considering a proposal to reverse some federal employee layoffs as part of a deal to reopen government, lawmakers said on Thursday, as negotiations continue to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. GovExec ...

Shutdown layoffs indefinitely blocked!

A federal judge on Tuesday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from carrying out layoffs during the government shutdown, saying the president’s actions were likely unlawful and taken for the purposes of political retribution. The White House’s argument that agencies are no longer required to carry out certain programs during a ...

This Week’s Update

As we approach the one-month mark since the start of the government shutdown, here’s a rundown of actions AFGE and our allies are taking to challenge the administration’s actions and provide you and your families with the resources and support you need during this difficult time: /https://www.afge.org/article/shutdown-update-5-things-to-know-this-week/ ...