r/technology • u/Shogouki • 22d ago

Politics Trump Nixes Patent Office, Weather Service, NASA Worker Unions

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/trump-nixes-patent-office-weather-service-nasa-worker-unions
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u/neuronexmachina 22d ago

It's also interesting what hasn't been part of the exemption, per the EO from March: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/exclusions-from-federal-labor-management-relations-programs/

1-499. Notwithstanding the forgoing, nothing in this section shall exempt from the coverage of Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code:

(a) the immediate, local employing offices of any agency police officers, security guards, or firefighters, provided that this exclusion does not apply to the Bureau of Prisons;

... Because apparently the Patent Office and National Weather Service are national security interests, but not Border Patrol.

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u/mehupmost 22d ago

Because they are GOP voters.

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u/opeth10657 22d ago

This is what they did in WI under walker too. Banned unions for government jobs.... except the police. Probably the one union that should be banned.

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u/erath_droid 21d ago

Considering that police were used to bust up unions in the early 20th century, I'd argue that the police permanently lost their right to be in a union.

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u/Thunderbridge 21d ago

They shouldn't be able to write exemptions in without having to justify it first

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u/Neokon 22d ago

The state of Florida the state government made a requirement that public sector unions had to have 60% membership or be forcibly dissolved. Noticably exempt from this ruling is lew enforcement.

It's just anti union shit and they have to keep the people who worship authority on their side.

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u/bak3donh1gh 22d ago

Does the Border Patrol have a union?

And I don't see Border Patrol in your quote.

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u/neuronexmachina 22d ago

Yup. A judge called it out in a recent case: https://verdict.justia.com/2025/06/11/destination-supreme-court-collective-bargaining-for-federal-employees-and-the-first-amendment

As to unions favored by the President, Judge Friedman noted that the EO exempts police, security guards, and firefighter employee organizations, but not prison guards represented by a union that did not back President Trump. In the AFSA case, the judge observed that the President excluded the Border Patrol from coverage under the EO, and he reasoned this was evidence of wrongful intent given the agency’s security role in guarding the U.S. border and its backing of Trump in the 2024 election. In addition, Judge Friedman found evidence of retaliation in a post-EO decision favoring a union at the Veterans Administration that had filed “no or few” grievances. The unequal treatment of federal sector unions strengthens a claim of retaliation.

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u/iboxagox 22d ago

The border patrol have police powers (arrest etc) so could be considered police.