President issues order limiting last-minute federal labor agreements
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President [Name] has issued an executive memorandum prohibiting federal agencies from finalizing collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the 30 days before a presidential transition, arguing such agreements improperly constrain a new administration’s authority.
The order, signed Wednesday, directs federal agencies to disapprove CBAs made in the final month of the previous administration if they create new contractual obligations, make substantive changes, or extend existing agreements. The policy does not apply to CBAs covering law enforcement officers.
In the memorandum, the president cited a Department of Education agreement signed three days before the new administration took office, which restricted the agency from recalling remote employees to in-person work. The order argues that such last-minute agreements undermine the democratic process by binding an incoming president to their predecessor’s policies.
“The Supreme Court has explained that a President ‘cannot choose to bind his successors by diminishing their powers,’” the memorandum states, emphasizing the administration’s position that executive authority should not be restricted by rushed agreements.
The directive authorizes the Office of Personnel Management to implement the policy and publish the memorandum in the Federal Register.