EPA union sues agency leadership over contract termination

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Administrator Lee Zeldin. The legal action seeks to restore a collective bargaining agreement that was terminated in August 2025.

The union, specifically AFGE Council 238 which represents approximately 8,000 workers, alleges that the termination violated workers' First Amendment rights and the Administrative Procedure Act. The union claims the cancellation was partly an attempt to make it easier to discipline employees who had previously expressed criticism of agency leadership.

The contract in question was originally set to remain in effect through June 2028. Its termination followed executive orders from President Donald Trump aimed at eliminating collective bargaining rights at various federal agencies on national security grounds. The lawsuit argues that the EPA failed to provide the reasoned decision-making and sufficient justification required by law when ending the agreement.