Union Rights Standoff: FDA Workers Left in Limbo

The Trump administration recently canceled a vital bargaining session with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's largest workers union. This session was the first since the union's right to represent government staff was temporarily restored by a federal court, according to a union official.

President Donald Trump had signed an executive order in March excluding certain agencies from collective bargaining due to their primary functions. This order affected agencies like the FDA and others under the Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs departments. An injunction against this order was issued by a senior district judge on April 25, pending a lawsuit's outcome by the National Treasury Employees Union.

The administration, appealing the injunction, did not reschedule the canceled meeting with the Department of Health and Human Services concerning mass layoffs at the FDA. The union intended to discuss layoff impacts and severance pay, but the meeting was axed last minute, fueling allegations of bad faith negotiations.

(With inputs from agencies.)