Food safety, plant health unions hit by USDA contract terminations

U.S.A. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has terminated union contracts with thousands of employees of its animal health and food safety inspection agencies, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

The notices, sent to union leaders at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Food Safety and Inspection Service, on 12th August 2025, align with President Donald Trump’s March executive order to exclude some federal workers from collective bargaining because their agencies have national security missions.

According to Paula Soldner, chairperson of the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals, about 6,500 food and consumer safety inspectors at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), who monitor meat, poultry, and egg products to ensure quality and prevent foodborne illness, were affected. 

She warned that the move adds to employees’ uncertainty as the administration works to shrink the federal workforce.

Roughly 1,500 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) employees who inspect plants for pests and disease are also impacted, according to the National Association of Agriculture Employees (NAAE). 

Another source familiar with the situation also noted that at least another 150 APHIS workers in a separate union will be affected. 

The NAAE filed a lawsuit on August 13, 2025, challenging the terminations on grounds that their work is unrelated to national security.

The President’s administration has also moved to end union contracts at the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies under the executive order.

“USDA is optimizing our workforce and returning the Department to a customer service-focused, farmer-first agency,” an agency spokesperson said. “This move will allow us to be a much more nimble as well as an attractive employer.”

A federal appeals court on August 1 lifted an injunction that had blocked implementation of the executive order. Since January, USDA has lost more than 15,000 employees through terminations or voluntary departures, including over 500 at FSIS and 1,300 at APHIS.

Soldner noted that food inspectors are already struggling with heavier workloads due to chronic understaffing, exacerbated by multiple rounds of the agency’s deferred resignation program. 

The resultant workplace stability risks weakening critical food safety oversight.

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