Trump seeks to dismantle federal unions

State of play: Trump's executive order from last Thursday says it ends collective bargaining with federal unions for the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, ICE, State Department, USAID, an immigration review office part of DOJ, and more.

• "Certain Federal unions have declared war on President Trump's agenda," says a White House announcement.
• It says the largest federal union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), "is widely filing grievances to block Trump policies."

What they're saying: AFGE says the executive action attacks the "collective bargaining rights of over one million federal employees."

• It notes that federal unions can't negotiate over pay, benefits or hiring/firing decisions, unlike those in the private sector. Federal employees cannot go on strike.
• Their role is narrowly defined as bargaining over employment conditions.

"AFGE is preparing immediate legal action and will fight relentlessly to protect our rights, our members, and all working Americans from these unprecedented attacks," the head of AFGE, Everett Kelley, said in a statement.