Happy Labor Day. The US administration has removed union recognition from NASA as budget cuts and layoffs loom.

The White House issued an executive order at the end of last week that added NASA to the National Security Exclusions list.

Being on the list means that NASA employees no longer have the same protections under US federal labor laws. Union rights have been stripped away, meaning that collective bargaining and negotiation regarding potential cuts will not be possible under the order. The move also repudiates existing collective bargaining agreements.

There are legitimate reasons for an agency to be on the exclusions list – the Department of Defense is on there, for example. However, describing NASA as having a "primary function in intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative

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