USDA Terminates Union Contracts Amid Workforce Optimization

The U.S. Department of Agriculture made a decisive move on Tuesday by terminating union contracts for thousands of its employees involved in animal health and food safety inspections. This decision follows President Donald Trump's executive order, which seeks to remove some federal workers from collective bargaining agreements due to national security concerns. Affected agencies include the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, according to documents obtained by Reuters.

This trend is not isolated to the USDA. The Trump administration has previously targeted union contracts at the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal bodies under the same mandate. An official spokesperson for the USDA emphasized the strategic nature of the move, labeling it as part of the Department's transformation into a more customer-focused and farmer-centered organization. The change is also presented as a step towards becoming a more agile and appealing employer.

These developments throw a cloud of uncertainty and concern over the USDA's workforce, particularly for the 6,500 food and consumer safety inspectors within the FSIS, whose contracts have now been annulled. The reorganization also affects at least 150 workers from the APHIS unit, who play critical roles in inspecting plant imports and managing livestock diseases like bird flu. The USDA has seen significant attrition, losing over 15,000 personnel this year, which the administration partly attributes to its strategic realignment efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)