Sep 11, 2025 | NDAA, News
Washington, D.C. — The House of Representatives has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with the anti-union Onder amendment removed, restoring collective bargaining rights for Defense Department employees.
Edward Jones, President of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, praised the move and called for swift Senate action:
“We thank the Representatives who stood strong to restore the rights of America’s Defense Department workforce. Collective bargaining is not a threat to national security — it strengthens it by ensuring our civilian defense employees have a voice on staffing, safety, and working conditions. We urge the Senate to respect these workers and pass the NDAA with these critical protections intact.”
The final passage of the NDAA will guarantee that the civilian men and women who support America’s military have the same rights and dignity as all working people.
Aug 1, 2025 | Executive Orders, Lawsuits
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, joined a coalition of labor organizations in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration to challenge Executive Order No. 14251, which strips most federal workers of their collective bargaining rights. This unprecedented and sweeping action undermines decades of stable and mutually beneficial labor-management relationships and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of hardworking Americans.
Edward Jones, President of the Metal Trades Department, issued the following statement:
The Trump Administration’s Executive Order is a direct attack on the rights of federal workers who have faithfully served this nation for decades. By falsely invoking ‘national security’ as a pretext, this administration has chosen to dismantle collective bargaining protections that have been in place for over 50 years—protections that have never interfered with national security, even during times of war and crisis.
This Executive Order is not about security; it is about silencing the voices of workers who dare to stand up for their rights. It is a blatant violation of the Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the principles of fairness and equality that this country was built upon.
The Metal Trades Department has proudly represented trades workers at federal facilities across the nation, including the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard, for decades. These workers have contributed to the safety, security, and prosperity of our nation, and they deserve better than to have their rights stripped away by political gamesmanship.
We will not stand idly by while this administration attempts to dismantle the rights of the men and women who keep our country running. This lawsuit is a fight for justice, for fairness, and for the dignity of every federal worker. We are confident that the courts will see this Executive Order for what it is: an unconstitutional and unjustified assault on workers’ rights
The Metal Trades Department remains committed to protecting the rights of union members and ensuring that their voices are heard. We will continue to fight for the collective bargaining protections that safeguard the public interest and strengthen our nation’s workforce.
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Statement from President Jones
Lawsuit filing
Jun 9, 2025 | OPM
Dear Metal Trades Sisters and Brothers,
The Trump administration just launched another direct attack on your job protections, your service, and your rights on the job.
This week, under the direction of the Administration, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed a rule that would allow agencies to fire federal employees, including those working at Naval and Coast Guard shipyards, in as little as five days, using vague and subjective “suitability” standards originally designed for job applicants. We need your help to beat back this rule. Let’s flood the Federal Register with comments now. We’ve included some sample language below that you may include in your comment, or write your own. Encourage your family and coworkers to write a comment as well.
Read the Proposed Rule Here
Suitability and Fitness Vetting Policies for Federal Employees – Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/03/2025-10067/suitability-and-fitness
If finalized, this rule would:
- Allow your removal without the full due process protections guaranteed under current law.
- Block the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) from fully reviewing your case.
- Put your job on the line for things like “refusal to furnish testimony” or violations of “nondisclosure agreements” — language that could easily be abused to retaliate against whistleblowers or workers who speak out.
Make no mistake: This is a direct threat to you, your coworkers, and every federal employee whose work helps keep America safe and running.
Metal Trades workers at Norfolk, Portsmouth, Puget Sound, Pearl Harbor, and beyond have dedicated their lives to federal service, strengthening our military readiness, and supporting this country’s defense infrastructure.
You’ve already proven your fitness, your patriotism, and your skill — on the job and, for many, in uniform. Now, the Trump administration wants to make it easier to remove you with barely any warning, and without a fair chance to fight back.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t accountability. This is union-busting and political purging.
As Suzanne Summerlin, general counsel for the Federal Workers Legal Defense Project, put it:
“It’s trying to use suitability rules that were originally designed for pre-employment screening as a shortcut for removals to bypass due process… That’s not accountability — that’s a loophole.”
Tell OPM to withdraw this dangerous rule now!
Submit your official comment to OPM before it’s too late:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/03/2025-10067/suitability-and-fitness#open-comment
Suggested comment to copy/paste:
As a federal worker and a proud member of the {add your union}, I strongly oppose this proposed rule. It threatens the job security of the skilled workforce that keeps our nation strong. We deserve due process, not political purges. Withdraw this dangerous rule immediately.
Stand strong. Speak out. Defend your jobs, your service, and your rights.
Comment period ends on July 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT.
In Solidarity,
Edward Jones,
President
Sources:
Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/trump-administration-moves-fast-track-firings-federal-workers-misconduct-2025-06-03
Trump Wants to Change ‘Suitability’ for Federal Employment
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/trump-wants-to-change-suitability-for-federal-employment
OPM seeks fast-track removal of federal employees for ‘suitability’ reasons in proposed rule
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2025/06/opm-seeks-fast-track-removal-of-federal-employees-for-suitability-reasons-in-proposed-rule/
May 22, 2025 | Executive Orders, Lawsuits, News
American Federation of Government Employees AFL-CIO v. Noem (2:25-cv-00451)
Overview: A coalition of unions challenges the actions of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and TSA Senior Official Adam Stahl. The unions allege that the Defendants engaged in an unlawful and unilateral termination of a negotiated union contract that protects approximately 47,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs).
American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump (3:25-cv-03070)
Overview: Several unions representing civilian employees at multiple federal agencies sued the agencies to challenge an Executive Order (EO) terminating the employees’ collective bargaining protections and the implementation of the EO. They argue that the EO and its implementation violate the First Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Separation of Powers.
NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION v. DONALD J. TRUMP (1:25-cv-00935)
Overview: National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), a labor union that represents federal government employees, sued the Trump Administration alleging President Trump’s Executive Order that terminates certain federal employees’ collective bargaining agreements, including 12 such agreements negotiated by NTEU, is unlawful. NTEU has asked the court to block termination of these agreements, which the court did on Apr. 25. But the appeals court blocked that order while the case is appealed.
AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION v. TRUMP (1:25-cv-01030)
Overview: The American Foreign Service Association (“AFSA”) sued to block President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (“EO”) terminating the collective bargaining rights of members of the U.S. Foreign Service, arguing that the termination of AFSA’s collective bargaining rights was not for national security reasons and instead was in retaliation to AFSA’s opposition to other actions taken by Trump. The district court has placed a temporary hold on the government’s action.
