'This administration will not stop until it takes away all workers' rights to form and join a union.'Trump quietly issued a memo granting Defense Secretary Esper the power to abolish collective bargaining rights for the Defense Department's 750,000 civilian workers, a move that is a far-reaching assault on organized labor. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) condemned the memo, which was published in the Federal Register , as 'a travesty and a disgrace.' It argues that a unionized Defense Department workforce could pose a threat to 'national security' and that, if necessary, collective bargaining rights at the department should be scrapped in the interest of 'protecting the American people.' The administration's divide-and-conquer strategy with respect to organized labor is as disgusting as it is shameful.' —American Federation of Government Employees