Department of Defense civilian employees are a critical part of our nation’s defense. Every day, they support our troops by maintaining equipment, managing logistics, providing medical care, ensuring readiness, and keeping our military operations running. They serve alongside uniformed personnel, often in demanding and mission-critical roles, and their contributions are essential to national security.

On April 9, 2026, the Secretary Hegseth issued a memo directing management to terminate collective bargaining agreements to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order 14821, which unilaterally and illegally strips federal workers of their union rights.

These recent actions to strip collective bargaining rights from Department of Defense civilian employees threaten not only those workers, but also the stability and effectiveness of the mission they support. When employees lose the ability to raise concerns, advocate for safe working conditions, and address workplace issues through established processes, it weakens accountability and undermines morale.