For Immediate Release: September 3, 2025
IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper issued the following statement on President Trump’s August 28 executive order attacking federal unions:
“This Labor Day, President Trump chose not to honor America’s workers, but to attack them. His Aug. 28 Executive Order is the latest in a string of reckless actions aimed at silencing federal workers, stripping away their bargaining rights, and weakening the unions that defend them.
“Since the 1940’s, decades before Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act in 1978, the IBEW has secured fair agreements for its members working for the federal government. The law did not create our bargaining rights; it simply recognized and protected the hard-won contracts and practices that were already in place and working. No political maneuver can erase that history or IBEW’s presence in the public sector workplace.
“This is much more than an assault on union rights—it is an attack on the American people. IBEW members in the federal government protect our safety, maintain our infrastructure, and deliver vital public services. Far from reinforcing our country’s national security, this administration is actively weakening the very institutions upon which millions of people rely every day.
“The IBEW has always stood by the simple truth that the public is best served when workers have a voice. No executive order will change that; and nothing can break our solidarity.”
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The IBEW represents approximately 873,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.