White House nixes NASA unions amid budget uncertainty
- Reference: 1756735306
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/01/nasa_unions_nixed/
- Source link:
The White House issued an [1]executive order at the end of last week that added NASA to the National Security Exclusions list.
Being on the list means that NASA employees no longer have the same protections under US federal labor laws. Union rights have been stripped away, meaning that collective bargaining and negotiation regarding potential cuts will not be possible under the order. The move also repudiates existing collective bargaining agreements.
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There are legitimate reasons for an agency to be on the exclusions list – the Department of Defense is on there, for example. However, describing NASA as having a "primary function in intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work" might raise an eyebrow at the agency. Then again, it is all too easy to trip up over ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) when talking about NASA technology, which can make the US Department of State more than a little twitchy.
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The order comes amid a period of budget uncertainty for the US space agency. It effectively removes options, such as going on strike, for affected NASA employees.
The Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association (GESTA), an employee association of approximately 1,700 US federal workers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility, [5]called the executive order "illegal."
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GESTA said: "This EO does not prohibit NASA from having unions... WE ARE FIGHTING THIS. "
[7]Unlike most of Musk's other ventures, Starship keeps it together for Flight Test 10
[8]Reckon you can put a nuclear reactor on the Moon?
[9]NASA won't name the Shuttle picked to move to Texas
[10]NASA faces brain drain as thousands exit under voluntary resignation scheme
[11]NASA Goddard Center Director quits as agency staffers issue dissent letter
Goddard is one of the NASA centers that could bear the brunt of the [12]proposed budget cuts .
A NASA spokesperson told The Register : "NASA is aware of this executive order issued on Aug. 28 regarding exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management relations program. We are working to quickly implement this and align with the President's vision for our agency."
NASA isn't the only agency in the executive order. Other inductees to the National Security Exclusions list include the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service and the National Weather Service. ®
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[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/further-exclusions-from-the-federal-labor-management-relations-program/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aLXDFl3CrlDqmPv6iWZbpgAAAAE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLXDFl3CrlDqmPv6iWZbpgAAAAE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aLXDFl3CrlDqmPv6iWZbpgAAAAE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.gesta-goddard.org/blog/message-to-our-membership-on-the-eo-regarding-nasas-collective-bargaining
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aLXDFl3CrlDqmPv6iWZbpgAAAAE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/27/spacex_starship_flight_10/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/15/nuclear_moon/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/10/nasa_wont_name_the_shuttle/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/nasa_voluntary_exits/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/22/nasa_goddard_resignation/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/02/nasa_isaacman_dropped/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Don't worry, soon it will be.
You are supposed to accept your assigned place. Be grateful you are allowed that place and you must not complain. There are lots of others who can replace you. Traitors will be shot just around the corner behind the shed.
National Weather Service?
This is the group that predicts weather based on data from NOAA...that has been gutted? So their presence for their job is critical, but the data to use to do the job is unimportant?
the National Security Exclusions list
The article refers to unions and rights of staff. I wonder if there are any other consequences. The term 'National Security' implies to me that activities and data gathered and analyses would also be subject to some constraints, such as no longer being available to the general public, which would be a disaster for so many people in the USA and elsewhere. What happens to all the collaborations with ESA, JAXA etc, which are not AFAIK 'security organisations'?
In the UK we had the ridiculous fact that every government building and piece of information used to be classified, so the location of the Post Office (now BT) Tower was actually a state secret, even though it is visible for miles and a set of postage stamps was issued to celebrate its opening. Will this sort of thing happen in the USA now?
If only this could be applied to all businesses across America.