NASA, NOAA, the National Weather Service. These federal agencies essential to understanding and enforcing life and safety have come under Trump’s knife. In a recent executive order, Trump outlines his plan to axe vital departments by attacking their unionized workforce. Trump seeks to terminate contracts with unions representing NASA, NOAA, the NWS, the Patent Office, and the International Trade Administration. Even more departments could lose federal support.
The Full Scope of Trump’s Latest Plot
The National Weather Service (NWS) monitors climatic conditions around the US, alerting areas about to receive severe weather. Likewise the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration watches the tropics for hurricane development should one veer toward our shores. NASA scans the skies for interstellar threats like meteors, comets, and wandering black holes. So, naturally, it makes sense to sabotage those defenses while the weather pushes new extremes and we keep discovering asteroids.
Trump’s order comes amid exorbitant tariffs on imported goods, persecution of foreign travelers and immigrants, union-busting and currently, gerrymandering. Labor union leaders are pushing back against Trump, whose intense anti-union point-of-view rivals that of right-wing hero Ronald Reagan. Reagan infamously fired 11,500 striking air traffic controllers in 1981 and dissolved the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization that October.
Trump’s executive order continues a policy from March of 2025, in which he outlawed collective bargaining between federal employees. That measure affects employees in these departments:
Department of State
Department of Defense
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Justice
Department of Energy
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of the Interior
Department of Agriculture
As well as the:
International Trade Administration
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Agency for International Development
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
National Science Foundation
Federal Communications Commission
General Services Administration
Labor unions throughout the Bay Area and statewide are partnering together to oppose Trump’s vendetta against California. On September 1, Labor Day, unionized workers rallied and marched in San Francisco and San Rafael, attracting thousands of attendees. 57% of union voters chose Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. 41% voted Trump in ‘24, counterintuitive as that seems. It seems in either party, unionized workers comprise a substantial amount of voters.
The Power of Unions is Undeniable
One might argue that Democrats renewed their party support yet again with the same spirit that animated 2020’s election cycle.
“They're like turkeys voting for Thanksgiving,” states San Francisco labor union member Richie Richards. “I think it's a lack of education problem, combined with a macho-ism problem. Basic union history, going back 130 plus years shows Democrats aren't perfect. But they have always been on the side of [labor] unions and the better choice for the 99%. The macho-ism problem is [that] many Americans will not vote for strong, smart, women candidates. This problem is mostly men and mostly white, but [it] can be seen across other demographics as well.”
One cannot help but wonder how unionized Trump voters sit content with their choices. If it isn’t wage cuts, it’s the climbing prices of consumer goods, partly the consequence of exorbitant and unnecessary tariffs. Perhaps the Trump regime could best be exemplified by Lyndon Johnson’s observation. If a politician gives the lowest white man someone to look down on, he won't notice the politician picking his pocket.
It's ironic how expensive prejudice can get.
