US health department moves to strip thousands of employees of collective bargaining rights

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal.

HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is ending its recognition of unions for a number of employees and reclaiming office space and equipment that had been used for union activities.

It’s the latest move by the Trump administration to put an end to collective bargaining with unions that represent federal employees. Previously affected agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In May, an appeals court said the administration could move forward with Donald Trump’s executive order that the president aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.

“This action ensures that HHS resources and personnel are fully focused on safeguarding the health and security of the American people,” department spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

Officials with the American Federation of Government Employees said strong union contracts do not hinder strong responses to public health emergencies. Rather, they help make agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have a stable, experienced and supported workforce, the union said.

Some CDC employees said the union has been a source of information and advocacy for the agency’s employees during layoffs this year and in the wake of the 8 August shooting attack at the CDC’s main campus in Atlanta.

Since then, the union has been trying to advocate for a better emergency alert system and better security.

Other affected agencies include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration for Children and Families.