For Immediate Release: March 28, 2025

Contact:   Edward Jones, President, Metal Trades Department

Washington, DC–The Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO strongly condemns President Trump’s illegal overnight executive order attempting to strip hundreds of thousands of federal employees of their collective bargaining rights.

“Once again, President Trump has shown his disdain for the federal workers that keep our country safe—the true patriots. Rather than reward them for their hard work, Trump is attempting to take away their union rights. Regardless of what President Trump claims, this EO is not about national security, but instead about retaliating against labor unions that have continuously fought back and won on behalf of federal employees in court,” says Metal Trades Department President Ed Jones.

“If President Trump truly cared about national security, he would have firmly addressed the recent lack of protocol surrounding his top national security officials’ use of an unsecured app to discuss and employ a war strike,” said Jones. “This faux concern for national security is nothing more than a veiled attempt to destroy further and erode our government.”

The Metal Trades Department is working with its affiliated international and national unions, allied organizations, and Metal Trades Councils to determine next steps. We expect to join our union siblings in challenging this illegal action in court and standing up for the rights of our unionized federal workforce across the country.

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The Metal Trades Department is a trade department of the AFL-CIO. It was chartered in 1908 to coordinate negotiating, organizing and legislative efforts of affiliated metalworking and related crafts and trade unions. Seventeen national and international unions are affiliated with the MTD today. More than 100,000 workers in private industry and federal establishments work under contracts negotiated by MTD Councils. Workers retain membership in their own trade unions.