On the eve of Labor Day, which fell on September 1 in 2025, the US presidential administration made a decision that could radically change the internal climate at NASA. The signed order deprives the space agency, as well as a number of other federal agencies, of the right to collective bargaining, citing national security interests.
On August 28, President Donald Trump signed a document abolishing the collective bargaining mechanism for agencies involved in national security tasks. This move excludes NASA from the list of organizations whose employees have federal labor protections, including the right to unionize and negotiate working conditions.
The order refers to the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which allows the president to exempt agencies involved in “intelligence, counterintelligence, or national security work” from labor protections. Although NASA is a civilian agency, the document asserts that its developments — satellite systems, communications, and propulsion technologies — are critical to national security.
NASA’s response
The new order affects more than half of NASA employees who are members of bargaining units represented by two major unions. Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, called the move an attack on workers’ rights that have been in place since the 1960s. He promised to fight the decision through the courts and legislative bodies.
This executive order was the latest in a series of blows to the agency’s staff, which had been recognized as the best place to work in the federal government for 13 consecutive years. The administration had previously initiated a $6 billion budget cut by 2026, which led to the closure of a number of offices and the termination of contracts worth hundreds of millions.
Reduced budget and new corporate culture
After Trump’s election, NASA was also forced to close offices responsible for diversity, equality, and inclusion programs and cancel related contracts. Other internal changes included a requirement for employees to remove pronouns from their email signatures and corporate messaging apps, which many viewed as an invasion of personal space.
On July 20, the anniversary of the lunar landing, a group of employees organized a protest against budget cuts. The latest order really limits the chances of similar actions in the future, taking away workers’ legal right to collectively express their dissatisfaction and push for better conditions. This poses serious challenges for the future of an organization that faces ambitious goals of returning to the Moon and exploring Mars.
Earlier, we reported on how Trump demanded a voluntary resignation from NASA employees.
According to whitehouse.gov
