The question before us is whether collective bargaining rights for federal workers will survive in an era where political winds shift faster than a prairie thunderstorm. This week, that question moved from theoretical to pressing reality.
Representative Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine, managed to push through legislation that would reverse President Donald Trump’s executive order curtailing federal worker union rights. The bill squeaked through the House on Thursday evening with support from 20 Republican lawmakers, a number that bears watching in these polarized times.
Now comes the harder part. Golden and his Republican ally, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, are working the phones and hallways of the Senate, trying to drum up enough support to bring this measure across the finish line.
“When I said on the House floor that union collective bargaining rights are not a partisan issue, I meant it,” Golden explained in an exclusive interview. “The greatest evidence of that is union members themselves. They vote Democrat, they vote Republican. They don’t all vote, but they might vote if they knew that someone supported their collective bargaining rights.”
The political arithmetic here is worth examining. Twenty House Republicans broke with their party leadership and, by extension, the President, to support this measure. In an environment where party discipline typically reigns supreme, that represents a significant fracture.
Golden introduced his legislation back in April. A companion bill emerged in the Senate come September. As of now, two Republican senators have signed on: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Collins, notably, appeared to add her support after the House vote Thursday evening.
Golden worked for Collins before entering Congress himself, and he seems unsurprised by her backing. “She’s supported unions on certain issues in the past, so she’s obviously a very important senator,” he noted.
The Maine congressman says he has already spoken with several senators since the House passage, though he declined to name names. The real lobbying push, he indicates, will intensify in the coming days and weeks.
Golden emphasized the importance of maintaining bipartisan cooperation throughout this process. “As you probably saw, it was a long process in the House, so you’ve got to stay dogged and be patient. It’s important to do it in a way that’s bipartisan, to create space for members of both parties to work together,” he said.
He made clear that Republican co-sponsors were consulted every step of the way regarding messaging and strategy. That same approach, he insists, will be necessary in the Senate.
The broader context here matters. Minnesota is reportedly facing a thousand-officer shortage, according to Mark Ross, president of the St. Paul Police Federation. He warns that fraud, underfunding, and political pressures are undermining public safety across the state. These workforce challenges extend beyond federal employees, but they illustrate the stakes involved in labor policy debates.
Golden expects additional Republican senators to join the effort in coming days. Whether enough will sign on to overcome potential procedural hurdles remains an open question.
This fight represents a test of whether bipartisan cooperation on labor issues can survive in our current political climate. The answer will come soon enough, and it will tell us something important about where we stand as a nation.
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