Federal agencies get power to decertify unions over unpaid fees
H.R. 1210 — Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act of 2025 · Filed by Scott Perry (R-PA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 11, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill requires federal agencies to charge labor unions quarterly fees for the time union representatives spend on union business while on the government payroll and for agency resources (office space, equipment, etc.) provided to unions. Unions must pay these fees within 60 days or face escalating penalties: loss of union time and resources after 90 days, loss of payroll deductions after 180 days, and decertification as the exclusive bargaining representative after 365 days. The bill also requires union representatives to track their union time in federal time-tracking systems or face disciplinary action.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is not fee collection per se—it is a pathway to decertification of unions through financial penalties and the suspension of core labor-law protections. The fee structure is the trigger; decertification is the outcome.
What the text implies
- The bill suspends normal labor-law remedies (grievance procedures, binding arbitration, unfair labor practice complaints) during the enforcement period, effectively removing workers' recourse to challenge agency fee calculations or penalties.
- Decertification after 365 days of non-payment is automatic and does not require a new union election or worker vote—it bypasses the democratic process for union representation.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
federal agencies (reduced union organizing capacity and operational costs); management interests opposed to collective bargaining