WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the Trump administration marks one year in the White House this month, CSEA is looking back to see how much of President Donald Trump’s policy agenda aligned with Project 2025.
Project 2025 was a policy agenda crafted by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation released during the lead up to the 2024 Presidential Election.
On the campaign trail, the president distanced himself from the operational blueprint but since taking office, he now appears to embrace it — a shift that threatens workers and organized labor.
Before the election, CSEA informed members about the potential consequences of Project 2025, which include the elimination of public-sector unions, job and workforce reductions, weakened worker protections, and cuts to education and public health.
Those consequences, in many instances, are already being realized.
Attacks on collective bargaining
In March 2025, Trump issued an executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal workers at more than 30 federal agencies involved in national defense, border security, foreign relations, public safety, cybersecurity and energy.
“The executive order signed by President Trump is a direct attack on federal workers and their fundamental labor rights,” said CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan, shortly after the order was signed. “This is not just an attack on federal workers — it’s a first step toward actions against all union and working people.”
The president doubled down in August, signing another executive order that led to the termination of most union contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Other agencies — including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — later followed suit.
A federal appeals court repeatedly blocked and reinstated the executive orders. In its most recent ruling, the court said any “harm to collective bargaining rights” experienced by federal employees would be “mitigated” because agencies are directed not to terminate collective bargaining agreements until pending litigation is resolved.
Gutting labor protections
In the first month of his second term, Trump also began reshaping the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Citing opinions that “unduly disfavored” employers, the president fired board member Gwynne Wilcox in January 2025.
With only one board member remaining, the NLRB was paralyzed and unable to hear or issue decisions on cases related to unfair labor practices or union representation. In July, the president nominated Scotty Mayer and James Murphy to fill the board’s vacancies, but as of year’s end, they had not been confirmed by the Senate. If approved, their confirmations would give the board a Republican majority.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which helps resolve labor disputes and strikes, has also been significantly impacted. Trump directed the agency to eliminate “non-statutory” components and to reduce its personnel to a “minimum,” even though FMCS’ budget accounts for less than 0.0014% of federal spending, according to the agency.
Fighting back
As these threats escalate, our union is urging members to stay informed, stay engaged, and stand united. The stakes for workers and public services have never been higher.
This is an election year for all U.S. House members, and you can expect CSEA to flex its political muscle to support candidates that will fight for CSEA members and their families.
“Together, we will push back against any agenda that undermines our workplaces, our communities or our democracy,” said Sullivan.
— Spencer Conlin
What Project 2025 said on unions
“Congress should consider whether public-sector unions are appropriate in the first place.” [p.81]
Actions the Trump administration took:
- Trump issued executive orders aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for more than 1 million federal workers.
- Created Schedule Policy/Career, which removes civil service protections for federal employees.
- The Federal Bureau of Prisons announced plans to end its agreement with the union that represents more than 30,000 federal prison workers, citing the union becoming “an obstacle to progress instead of a partner in it.”
Agencies should “prevent union representatives from… engaging in union activity on government time” [p.81]
Actions the Trump administration took:
- The federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a document calling for the end of authorized union leave, as well as end negotiated use of agency resources.
What Project 2025 said on education
“The federal department of education should be eliminated” [p.319]
“over a 10-year period, the federal spending [on education] should be phased out” [p.350]
- In March, an executive order directed the closure of the Department of Education. In November, the administration announced plans to transfer many of the department’s programs to the Department of Labor.
What Project 2025 said on employee benefits
The “Extravagance” of federal employees’ pay and benefits needs “close scrutiny” [p.76]
The government pension system “remains much more generous, and other means might be considered in the future to move it even closer to private plans” [p.77]
- House Republicans advanced a package of proposals to change core aspects of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), including raising employee pension contributions and cutting the final benefits.
What Project 2025 said on the economy
The treasury should Reduce taxes for the wealthy by instituting a 30 percent flat tax rate on all incomes above $168,600 [P.696]
“Capital gains should be taxed at 15 percent,” which would increase taxes on low- and middle-income filers, and decrease them for the wealthy [p.696]
“The corporate income tax should be reduced to 18 percent,” which would decrease federal tax revenues by nearly $30 billion [p.696]
- While none of these provisions have been enacted, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act included several tax provisions that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans, including lower income tax rates and bigger standard deductions and breaks for businesses.
What Project 2025 said on government employees
“Reducing the number of federal employees seems an obvious way to reduce the overall expense of the civil service” [p.78]
Actions the Trump administration took:
- Federal hiring freeze.
- Urged employees to retire or resign through the Deferred Resignation Program, resulting in more than 300,000 attritions.
- Began process of permanently firing workers during the fall shutdown, which a federal judge temporarily halted.
- Through DOGE, began implementing large-scale cuts to the federal workforce.
Undermine the Civil Service’s pay structure by “expanding the role of performance related to pay throughout the entire workforce” [p.74]
- A memo to federal agencies directed that only “high performers” receive meaningful bonuses and awards.
“Contractors are less expensive because they are not entitled to high government pensions or benefits and are easier to fire and discipline” [p.78]
- In April, the administration directed agencies to prefer commercially available products and services and to use the marketplace whenever possible, rather than have the federal government develop them internally.
To follow along with what’s happening with Project 2025, visit project2025.observer.