Matt Biggs, President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the strained U.S.-Canada relations, the executive order targeting federal employee collective bargaining rights and the impact recent federal actions have had on immigration judges and Social Security administrative law judges.
Biggs started by sharing his experiences during a recent trip to Canada, where he met with IFPTEs Canadian members. He said many of them expressed confusion and anger over Trump's proposed tariffs on Canadian goods and services. Biggs discussed the disrespect the Canadian members felt by Trump's statements about Canada becoming the "51st state.” Biggs added that many of the Canadian members are increasingly choosing to avoid travel and spending in the U.S., with IFPTE considering holding its next convention in Canada as a result.
The conversation turned to President Trump's executive order attempting to eliminate collective bargaining rights for nearly a million federal employees. Biggs explained that the administration is using a "national security exemption" to claim that certain federal workers, particularly in the Department of Defense, are exempt from union membership. He said that multiple unions, including IFPTE, have filed lawsuits challenging this order, expressing confidence in their legal standing. Biggs shared his belief that the administration is operating in a retaliatory nature, as the executive order explicitly targets federal unions that have successfully sued to block previous illegal actions.
Biggs also discussed the impact recent federal actions have had on specific worker groups represented by IFPTE, including immigration judges and Social Security administrative law judges. He explained how the firing of immigration judges has increased the case backlog to 3.7 million, contradicting Trump's campaign promises of stricter immigration enforcement. For Social Security judges, Biggs said the administration's "wrecking ball" approach to closing hearing offices and field offices is creating barriers for disabled individuals seeking benefits.
Listen to the full episode above to hear more from Biggs on IFPTE's response to the Trump administration's actions.
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