A union for employees at the Environmental Protection Agency is demanding the agency reinstate workers that were placed on leave for signing a letter critical of the Trump administration’s environmental and personnel policies.
“The agency’s decision to place these employees on administrative leave and to threaten further employment actions is a blatant act of retaliation,” said Justin Chen, the union president, in the letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “These employees engaged in protected speech on a matter of significant public concern, and their actions are fully protected by federal law and our collective bargaining agreement.”
Chen added that the agency’s actions had no legal basis and that it should dismiss any disciplinary or investigative action it took against the staffers.
He contended that, in addition to being protected by the First Amendment, the employees’ letter was within their rights to petition Congress. The letter was copied to multiple congressional committees, Chen said, in addition to Zeldin.
“Indeed, the union’s understanding is that many of the employees affected sought previously to raise the concerns noted in the letter through their regular chain of command to no avail or response,” he added.
The EPA did not immediately return a request for comment.
A group of current and retired EPA employees went public with a letter to Zeldin critical of the administration on Monday, saying the White House’s efforts “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
The EPA said afterwards that it had placed 144 staffers on administrative leave and it would investigate the letter.
The agency had previously fired 280 employees who worked on tackling pollution in marginalized communities, framing it as a push to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
“I don’t believe that anyone should be here at EPA who is not committed to the agency mission and the lawful directives coming from the duly elected president of the United States,” Zeldin told reporters in January.
