By MIKE STOBBE

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal.

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HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is ending its recognition of unions for a number of employees, and are reclaiming office space and equipment that had been used for union activities.

It’s the latest move by the Trump administration to put an end to collective bargaining with unions that represent federal employees. Previously affected agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In May, an appeals court said the administration could move forward with President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.

“This action ensures that HHS resources and personnel are fully focused on safeguarding the health and security of the American people,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

Officials with the American Federation of Government Employees said strong union contracts do not hinder strong responses to public health emergencies. Rather, they help make agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a stable, experienced and supported workforce, the union said.

Some CDC employees said the union has been a source of information and advocacy for the agency’s employees during layoffs this year and in the wake of the Aug. 8 attack at the CDC’s main campus in Atlanta.

Since then, the union has been trying to advocate for a better emergency alert system and better security.

Other affected agencies include the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and at the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration for Children and Families.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By MIKE STOBBE

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal.

Related Articles

Justice Dept. declines to defend grants for Hispanic-serving colleges, calling them unconstitutional

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HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is ending its recognition of unions for a number of employees, and are reclaiming office space and equipment that had been used for union activities.

It’s the latest move by the Trump administration to put an end to collective bargaining with unions that represent federal employees. Previously affected agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In May, an appeals court said the administration could move forward with President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.

“This action ensures that HHS resources and personnel are fully focused on safeguarding the health and security of the American people,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

Officials with the American Federation of Government Employees said strong union contracts do not hinder strong responses to public health emergencies. Rather, they help make agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a stable, experienced and supported workforce, the union said.

Some CDC employees said the union has been a source of information and advocacy for the agency’s employees during layoffs this year and in the wake of the Aug. 8 attack at the CDC’s main campus in Atlanta.

Since then, the union has been trying to advocate for a better emergency alert system and better security.

Other affected agencies include the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and at the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration for Children and Families.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By COLLIN BINKLEY and JOCELYN GECKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday it will not defend a decades-old grant program for colleges with large numbers of Hispanic students that is being challenged in court, declaring the government believes the funding is unconstitutional.

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In a memo sent to Congress, the Justice Department said it agrees with a lawsuit attempting to strike down grants that are reserved for colleges and universities where at least a quarter of undergraduates are Hispanic. Congress created the program in 1998 after finding Latino students were going to college and graduating at far lower rates than white students.

Justice Department officials argued the program provides an unconstitutional advantage based on race or ethnicity.

The state of Tennessee and an anti-affirmative action organization sued the U.S. Education Department in June, asking a judge to halt the Hispanic-Serving Institution program. Tennessee argued all of its public universities serve Hispanic students but none meet the “arbitrary ethnic threshold” to be eligible for the grants. Those schools miss out on tens of millions of dollars because of discriminatory requirements, the suit said.

On Friday, the Justice Department released a letter dated July 25 in which Solicitor General John Sauer notified Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson that the department “has decided not to defend” the program, saying that certain aspects of it are unconstitutional. The letter cited a 2023 Supreme Court decision that racial balancing is “patently unconstitutional.”

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

By COLLIN BINKLEY and JOCELYN GECKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday it will not defend a decades-old grant program for colleges with large numbers of Hispanic students that is being challenged in court, declaring the government believes the funding is unconstitutional.

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HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rights

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In a memo sent to Congress, the Justice Department said it agrees with a lawsuit attempting to strike down grants that are reserved for colleges and universities where at least a quarter of undergraduates are Hispanic. Congress created the program in 1998 after finding Latino students were going to college and graduating at far lower rates than white students.

Justice Department officials argued the program provides an unconstitutional advantage based on race or ethnicity.

The state of Tennessee and an anti-affirmative action organization sued the U.S. Education Department in June, asking a judge to halt the Hispanic-Serving Institution program. Tennessee argued all of its public universities serve Hispanic students but none meet the “arbitrary ethnic threshold” to be eligible for the grants. Those schools miss out on tens of millions of dollars because of discriminatory requirements, the suit said.

On Friday, the Justice Department released a letter dated July 25 in which Solicitor General John Sauer notified Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson that the department “has decided not to defend” the program, saying that certain aspects of it are unconstitutional. The letter cited a 2023 Supreme Court decision that racial balancing is “patently unconstitutional.”

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.