A union representing more than 8,000 Environmental Protection Agency workers is suing the agency after it scrapped a collective bargaining agreement years before it was supposed to expire.
The plaintiffs say the cancellation was unlawful and part of an effort to curb dissent from workers who speak out.
Here's what to know
According to The Guardian, two local unions of the American Federation of Government Employees sued the EPA and Administrator Lee Zeldin over the agency's August 2025 termination of the workers' contract. They are asking the court to reinstate the agreement.
The labor deal began in June 2024 and was set to last until June 2028. The complaint says the EPA did not properly justify cutting it short and instead acted "with the goal of repressing political dissent," which the unions argue violated employees' First Amendment rights.
The contract included a scientific integrity provision to protect staff from retaliation, The Guardian reported.
AFGE Council 238 President Justin Chen said members entered public service because "they believe in the kind of work that they do."
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"When they're gagged and have no rights, they're unable to serve the American public, they can't do their jobs, and they can't serve the agency's mission," he added, per the newspaper.
More background
An executive order by President Donald Trump has been used to target labor agreements covering more than 1 million federal employees. The EPA said it would not comment on the lawsuit, citing its longstanding practice of not discussing pending litigation.
In a separate dispute, an arbitrator sided with EPA workers in AFGE Local 704 after 139 employees were disciplined for signing an open dissent letter, as The Guardian noted. The punishment went forward despite warnings from a top EPA attorney about the legal risk.
The arbitrator directed the agency to clear the workers' records, provide back pay, and pay the union's attorney fees.
Since Trump took office in January 2025, roughly 4,000 EPA workers have left through resignations, early retirements, and layoffs, leaving the workforce at about 12,700 employees, the paper reported.
What's being done?
In the lawsuit, the unions ask for the bargaining agreement to be restored and say its protections are necessary for an effective civil service.
"The protection of my members is incredibly important and paramount, quite frankly, to an effective civil service [and for] protecting the American public," Chen said, according to The Guardian.
Where can I learn more?
The dispute fits into wider fights over EPA authority, internal dissent, and agency decisions.
• Health organizations sued after the EPA made an unprecedented move affecting a core policy.
• Senate Democrats said the EPA's effort to claw back $20 billion was illegal.
• The EPA approved California's clean-car rules, and opponents answered with "See you in court."
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