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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
URGING THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO PASS H.B. 2550 THE PROTECT AMERICA’S WORKFORCE ACT
WHEREAS, on March 27, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights and union representation across the federal government; and
WHEREAS, H.R. 2550, the “Protect America’s Workforce Act,” is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) commands broad bipartisan support with over 200 co-sponsors advocating for the fundamental right of workers to organize; and
WHEREAS, this legislation is poised to nullify the Executive Order titled “Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs” which aimed to eliminate collective bargaining rights across multiple federal agencies; and
WHEREAS, the order targeted employees in the Departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Energy, as well as certain employees in the Departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Agriculture impacting roughly 67% of the federal workforce; and
WHEREAS, the most effective strategy to counteract President Trump’s aggressive and unconstitutional attack on the civil service, which lacks widespread congressional support, is to pass H.R. 2550; and
WHEREAS, throughout our history, unions have ensured workers got their fair share of this nation’s prosperity, built our middle class, and are key to strengthening its future. We cannot have a government that undermines workers’ rights; and
WHEREAS, over 70 percent of Americans and nearly 9 in 10 young people support unions and no one voted to erode the freedom to organize with colleagues for a better life; and
WHEREAS, the labor movement is 100 percent in support of this bill including the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); and
WHEREAS, federal workers already face significant limitations in their labor rights. Unlike their counterparts in the private sector, they are prohibited by law from bargaining over wages, benefits, or job classifications and are barred from striking. Their collective bargaining rights are restricted solely to matters related to working conditions and notably, approximately one-third of unionized federal employees are U.S. military veterans; and
WHEREAS, the Protect America’s Workforce Act upholds the core principle that a government serving the people must also honor the rights of those who serve within it;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners strongly urge the United States House of Representatives to pass H.R. 2550, the “Protect America’s Workforce Act” in order to restore collective bargaining rights of federal workers across the nation; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to the Illinois’ Congressional delegation, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders, to underscore the importance and urgency of passing this legislation to ensure our nation’s prosperity and security.
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