Federal Labor Exclusions (E.O. 14251)

Summary

Stops certain federal government workers from being part of unions, saying it is for national security.

What problem does this solve?

Some federal jobs are considered too sensitive for normal union rules, which could risk national security. This order removes union protections for many of these jobs to protect sensitive information and operations.

Who does this affect?

Federal employees in national security roles
Federal employee unions
Government agency managers

What does this order do?

Excludes numerous agencies from union coverage

Removes many federal agencies and their subdivisions from labor-management relations programs, citing national security. This includes parts of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security.

Gives power to department secretaries

Allows the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Transportation to decide if certain groups of workers in their departments should be excluded from union rules.

Ends current union activities for affected workers

Requires that once a union agreement ends for an excluded group, workers doing union tasks must return to their government jobs. Also ends any ongoing complaints or legal actions involving these workers.

Requires review for more exclusions

Orders the head of each government agency to report within 30 days which other groups of workers should also be removed from union coverage for national security reasons.

What is the real world impact?

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Weakens federal employee unions

Removes a large number of federal workers from union eligibility, which could reduce the power and influence of public sector unions and give agency managers more control over their workforce.

When does this start?

This order takes effect on March 27, 2025, but includes specific deadlines for agency actions.

Deadline for Defense and VA secretaries

The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must submit certifications to keep certain subdivisions under union coverage for publication within 15 days of the order.

Deadline for agency review

The head of each agency must submit a report identifying other potential subdivisions for exclusion within 30 days of the order.