Bargaining Unit Employees,
Today, there will be additional pressure to resign. In the coming weeks, there will be a coordinated effort to demoralize you. The strategy is clear: to overwhelm you with fear, uncertainty, and a relentless barrage of threats. From attacking your work ethic to stripping you of your professional identity, their goal is to make you question your own worth.
We have received calls from employees in tears, fearful for their livelihoods, afraid of being labeled as disloyal, and worried about their ability to continue serving the American people. We have heard from many of you who are concerned that your identity as a person is being stripped away. You are walking into the next few years afraid that at any moment, crossing an unseen line may cost you your position. We are now under immense and increasing pressure, with clear indications that our communications on government devices are being monitored. This campaign is designed to make you fearful of even sending an email or Teams message at work. This is their goal: to make you go home and say to yourself, “I can’t do this anymore.”
But here is the truth. Many of the threats being issued have no real foundation. The administration may claim sweeping authority, but much of what they say they can do is beyond their legal power. The coming months will determine which of these actions have legal standing and which do not. Attempting to predict which of these actions will hold up legally is impossible. These actions are not about enforcement. They are about fear.
Your rights remain unchanged. As an American citizen, you are protected. As a federal employee, you are covered by Green Book 4.0, the Collective Bargaining Agreement that takes precedence over many of the orders that may come down in the months and years ahead.
We urge you to stand strong but also to be strategic. Acts of insubordination can lead to removal from service, but that does not mean you are powerless. You still have rights and protections. However, we are a small committee and cannot be everywhere at once. We need your eyes and ears. We need you to report changes in working conditions. Now more than ever, it is critical to keep an open line of communication with union leadership as you witness changes unfold.
If you have not yet read Green Book 4.0, start today. You are required to read it to perform your job effectively and to understand your rights.
Over the past week, NAAE membership has surged, and we are working diligently to process this influx. But we must continue to grow. We anticipate significant legal battles ahead, and the majority of union dues go directly toward legal defense, fighting for you and your protections. Remember that you can only encourage membership outside of working hours, such as during lunch breaks or after work.
But herein lies the weakness in their strategy. In their attempt to overwhelm us, they have instead galvanized a force of thousands—workers who keep free trade moving, who safeguard American agriculture, who believe in our mission, and who take pride in the work they do every single day. Do not let them break your resolve. Do not let them succeed in their campaign of fear. We are still here. We will stand together. We will serve the American people with integrity, no matter the obstacles placed in our path.
When we took our positions, we took an oath, and we take that oath seriously.
In Solidarity,
Christian Russe
NAAE National President