Federal workers union vows to fight Trump push to end remote work

The largest federal workers’ union vowed to fight President-elect Trump’s administration if he pushes to block a contract signed by the Biden administration allowing federal workers to keep working remotely.

Trump said at his first post-election press conference on Monday that he would challenge in court the “very terrible” contract signed with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) that extended remote work protections until 2029.

"If people don't come back to work, come back into the office, they're going to be dismissed, and somebody in the Biden administration gave a five-year waiver of that, so that for five years people don’t have to come back into the office,” Trump said

“They just signed this thing,” Trump said, adding, “It was, like, a gift to a union, and we are going to obviously be in court to stop it.”

AFGE National President Everett Kelley said the union would fight the incoming administration if he followed through on that pledge.

"Collective bargaining agreements entered into by the federal government are binding and enforceable under the law. We trust the incoming administration will abide by their obligations to honor lawful union contracts,” Kelley said.

“If they fail to do so, we will be prepared to enforce our rights,” Kelley added.

Kelley noted that most federal employees do not work remotely because the nature of their jobs doesn’t allow for it.

"Rumors of widespread federal telework and remote work are simply untrue,” Kelley said, adding, “only ten percent of federal workers are remote, and those who have a hybrid arrangement spend over sixty percent of working hours in the office.”

Kelley also insisted that remote work have increased productivity and efficiency.

"We support telework where it delivers for both the taxpayers and the workers who serve them,” Kelley said. “Telework and remote work are tools that have helped the federal government increase productivity and efficiency, maintain continuity of operations, and increase disaster preparedness. These policies also assist agencies across the government, including the Social Security Administration, in recruiting and retaining top talent.”

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