None of the newly added agencies have confirmed terminations, but each has begun internal compliance reviews. Exemptions such as VA police, firefighters, and security guards remain in place. Image: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock.com
The White House added six federal agencies Aug. 28 to the list covered by Executive Order 14251, expanding the bargaining‑rights ban to more than 40 entities across the federal government. The order, signed in March, removes collective bargaining agreement protections from every position within each named department, agency, or subdivision unless specifically exempted.
The additions are all components of the Department of Homeland Security:
USCIS, ICE, Coast Guard, and CISA were already listed in the original March 27, 2025 order, but the Office of Personnel Management’s August update re‑listed them in the expansion package alongside two other DHS offices: the Office of Health Security and the Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness.
They join a roster already encompassing major Cabinet‑level departments, independent agencies, and targeted sub‑components such as the FDA, FEMA, and the Bureau of Land Management. The OPM’s implementation memo directs agencies to notify unions, identify affected employees, and begin exclusions immediately.
That acceleration began in mid‑August, when a federal appeals court lifted the final preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the March 27 order. The removal of that barrier allowed agencies to proceed even as union lawsuits continued—a shift from the situation described in our Aug. 12 coverage, when two major injunctions were still in place.
“No other federal district or appellate court has issued an order that precludes agencies from carrying out the President’s direction in EO 14251,” the OPM stated in a memo released August 18. “In resuming implementation, agencies should be mindful of previous guidance released by OPM on April 4, 2025, and answers to frequently asked questions released on April 22, 2025.”
Within days of the ruling, additional agencies from the original EO 14251 list moved forward. Between Aug. 19–22, Health and Human Services, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, FEMA, EPA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Coast Guard all canceled their CBAs—in some cases ending decades‑long labor relationships overnight. This followed earlier actions by VA, EPA, FEMA, and USCIS.
OPM’s FAQ guidance to agencies resuming implementation instructs them to disregard CBA provisions on reductions‑in‑force, grievance participation, and deduction of union dues where those provisions conflict with EO 14251, and to hold certain arbitration cases in abeyance pending litigation outcomes. Agencies are now on parallel tracks—some have already executed terminations, while others are preparing to comply once statutory notice periods and other procedural requirements are met.
None of the newly added agencies have confirmed terminations, but each has begun internal compliance reviews. Exemptions such as VA police, firefighters, and security guards remain in place.
With the legal path now open, the pace and scope of new termination notices will hinge on agency timelines and ongoing court challenges. For unions and management, the next phase will test both the reach of EO 14251 and the resilience of long‑standing labor frameworks.
Federal Pay Raise in 2026 Unlikely; Trump Expected to Affirm Decision by End of Month
DoD Announces Civilian Volunteer Detail in Support of Immigration Enforcement
Urban Policing Order Calls for Hiring Federal LEOs, Deputized Guard Unit
Ruling on CFPB Job Cuts Could Affect Challenges to Other RIFs and Reorgs
Schnitzer: How to Challenge a Federal Reduction in Force (RIF) in 2025
See also,
Trusts and Estate Tax in 2025: Why Federal Employees May Need to Revisit Old Plans
Should I be Shooting for a $1M TSP Balance? Depends…
What to Know About the New Federal Application Process
Pre-RIF To-Do List from a Federal Employment Attorney
Top 10 Provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill of Interest to Federal Employees