Golden moves to force vote this week on bill to restore federal workers’ union rights

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) took the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to provide notice to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of his intent to force a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act (PAWA), his bipartisan bill to repeal a presidential executive order that stripped union rights from federal workers.

“This bill’s cosponsors, Democrats and Republicans alike, know that collective bargaining brings fairness, dignity and respect to the workplace. They also know that without these rights, federal workers are more vulnerable to unfair treatment and political interference,” Golden said. “I’m calling on Speaker Johnson to hold a clean, up-or-down vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act, so that Congress can show workers that we’ve got their backs.” 

Golden introduced PAWA in April, with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) as the lead GOP cosponsor. After months of inaction on the floor, in July Golden and Fitzpatrick initiated a discharge petition and set to work building support to force a vote in the House. In November, the discharge petition obtained its 218th signature, clearing the threshold to bring PAWA up for a vote over the Speaker’s objections. 

The Speaker now has two legislative days to hold a vote on the motion to discharge PAWA. If that motion is successful, the House will consider the bill. 

Signatories to the discharge petition included nearly the entire Democratic caucus and five Republicans who cosponsored the bill:Fitzpatrick, Don Bacon (NE-02), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), Nick LaLota (NY-01) and Mike Lawler (NY-17). 

Four additional Republicans did not sign the discharge petition but are cosponsors of PAWA: Reps. Mike Turner (OH-10), Chris Smith (NJ-04), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) and Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07).

“The labor movement fought back against the largest act of union-busting in American history by doing what we do best: organizing," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. "We commend Reps. Golden and Fitzpatrick for leading us to a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act and urge every lawmaker to support this bill. Working people built a bipartisan coalition to restore union rights to federal workers in the face of unprecedented attacks on our freedoms and livelihoods. Now it’s time for a clean, standalone vote so the House of Representatives can show the country it will defend workers' fundamental rights on the job.”

“AFGE will forever be grateful to Congressman Golden for his tireless efforts to restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees,” said Dr. Everett B. Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). “Time and again, he has answered the call to defend the working men and women who keep this country safe and secure, healthy and prosperous. I urge all members of Congress to support the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act offered by Reps. Golden and Fitzpatrick and enact it into law.”

Background:

President Trump’s March 27 Executive Order, “Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs,” sought to end collective bargaining with unions at the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy, and some workers at the departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Interior and Agriculture. The order affected hundreds of thousands of federal workers. 

The Protect America’s Workforce Act would repeal the executive order outright, and guarantee that the federal government honors any union contract in place at the time it was made.

Federal workers’ bargaining rights are already limited. Unlike private-sector unions, federal employees cannot bargain collectively over wages, benefits or classifications, nor can they strike under existing law. Their bargaining rights are limited to conditions of employment. Roughly one-third of all federal workers in unions are veterans.

In addition to the AFL-CIO and AFGE, the bill has support from a wide range of unions representing federal employees, including: the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the United Steelworkers (USW).

###