IFPTE Applauds House Passage of NDAA to Protect Union Rights for DOD's Workforce
This week, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA) with language that prevents the Department of Defense (DOD) from implementing the March 27 Executive Order (EO) that revokes collective bargaining agreements and bargaining rights for at DOD and 17 other agencies.
The inclusion of this language, in Section 11110 of the House NDAA, titled “Limitation on use of funds to limit collective bargaining,” is a significant step forward in reversing part of the EO, which calls for revoking over 1 million federal workers’ union rights, making it the largest single union-busting effort in American history.
This provision was included in the NDAA during the House Armed Services Committee’s markup and approval of the bill on July 15, thanks to Rep. Don Norcross (D-NJ) offering an amendment in Committee that Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and all Democrats on the Committee voted for. The bipartisan support for the language in the Committee ensured it was included in the underlying bill.
However, as the bill moved to the House floor this week, IFPTE and labor as a whole worked to oppose an amendment offered by Rep. Robert Onder (R-MO) to strip Sec. 1110. That effort was successful in encouraging enough Republicans to oppose the Onder Amendment, which was subsequently pulled from consideration.
The House NDAA also includes language that blocks the Navy Shipyards from implementing Reductions-In-Force, hiring freezes, or hiring delays. The Senate is expected to take up its NDAA bill next week. IFPTE will continue to work toward a final NDAA bill that includes the House NDAA’s Sec. 1110.