Union calls for reinstatement of EPA workers suspended over letter

[Omaha Steve]

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, left, speaks during a cabinet meeting with President Trump at the White House on July 8, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/07/union-calls-reinstatement-epa-workers-suspended-over-letter/406685/?oref=ge-author-river

More than 130 EPA workers were put on administrative leave over their signature of a letter that criticized Administrator Lee Zeldin’s direction for the agency.
July 11, 2025 05:56 PM ET

The union that represents workers at the Environmental Protection Agency this week called on Administrator Lee Zeldin to reinstate the nearly 140 employees who were put on leave last week in retaliation for signing a letter critical of the agency’s new direction under the Trump administration.

Last month, nearly 300 EPA employees sent an open letter to Zeldin entitled "Declaration of Dissent", accused the Trump administration of “recklessly undermining” EPA’s mission for ignoring science, abandoning environmental justice efforts and promoting a “culture of fear” within the agency. More than 100 of the initial signatories endorsed the letter anonymously, a number that has since grown to more than 600 as of Friday afternoon.

“Administrator Zeldin, you have done your best to ensure that employees have no recourse against these assaults by nullifying bargaining agreements and refusing to negotiate,” they wrote. “In addition, you administration has fired or forced onto administrative leave several categories of employees, including those responsible for environmental justice and those managing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives.”

Last week, Zeldin placed 139 of the roughly 170 named signatories on administrative leave—labor officials were exempt, while others were already on leave, according to CNN—until at least next week pending an investigation into their conduct. Though the letter stipulates that none of the employees who signed the letter did so in their official capacity, during work hours or using agency resources, an EPA spokesperson claimed that the letter amounted to “sabotaging” the agency.

FULL story at link above.

[4th]

1. Part of the larger purge of all Democrats.

Also -- Even before Trump was a professional wrestling impresario, as a locally prominent commercial property manager he was a union buster.