The new executive order titled “Further Exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program” builds on Trump’s earlier March 2025 order (EO 14251), which stripped collective bargaining rights from large segments of the federal workforce. The new order gives additional time for the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to finalize actions under Section 4 of EO 14251. While the original order had imposed a firm deadline for these departments to decide which subdivisions might be exempt, the August 28 order extends that window by granting full legal force to any determinations they make within 15 days of this new directive.
This means that the Defense Department and the VA can continue applying or suspending exclusions for certain subdivisions, even if they missed the earlier cutoff. The extension reinforces the administration’s push to expand restrictions on union rights at federal agencies, particularly those tied to national security, intelligence, and other sensitive functions. It ensures that the broad rollback of labor protections envisioned by EO 14251 is not undermined by timing gaps, further cementing the administration’s ability to curtail collective bargaining across critical parts of the federal government.
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