Standing with 1,100 local defense workers, New York’s senior senator launches a high-stakes legislative battle to restore stripped union protections.
In an Independence Day weekend standoff that directly impacts the economic stability of the Mohawk Valley, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer traveled to Oneida County to issue a fierce defense of federal employees. Speaking alongside local leaders and union members on July 2, 2026, the Senate Majority Leader launched an aggressive legislative campaign to protect collective bargaining rights for thousands of Department of Defense (DoD) civilian workers across New York State. The emergency push comes on the heels of a contentious executive action from the Trump administration that nullified labor contracts, instantly stripping union protections from more than 1,100 highly skilled civil servants working right here in our community at DFAS and AFRL in Rome.
Local Defense Installations Caught in Crossfire
The sweeping executive order has hit the region’s premier federal hubs with stunning speed. Earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued an official notice terminating the vast majority of the department’s collective bargaining agreements. Locally, the fallout is severe: the cuts instantly impact approximately 800 workers at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Rome and 300 civilian researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Rome, known locally as Rome Lab.
Without the Shield of collective bargaining, these 1,100 dedicated local professionals are no longer legally permitted to use union representation to negotiate working conditions, settle workplace grievances, request vital medical accommodations, or advocate for fair policies surrounding paid time off (PTO) and promotions.
DoD Civilian Union Workers Impacted in Rome, NY:
┌──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│ DFAS Rome │ AFRL Rome │
├──────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ 800 Workers │ 300 Workers │
└──────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Total Local Impact: 1,100 Civil Servants Stripped of Rights
Schumer Details Plan to Defend Mohawk Valley Workers
Senator Schumer did not mince words during his Rome appearance, characterizing the administrative maneuver as an unnecessary assault on middle-class families who form the logistical backbone of our national defense infrastructure.
“Attacking union rights is a slap in the face to hardworking civilian employees here in the Mohawk Valley DFAS and AFRL and across New York,” Senator Schumer stated during the press conference. “Stripping these devoted civil servants of their collective bargaining rights undermines not only their workplace protections, but also the stability and morale of the civilian workforce that underpins our national defense.”
To counter the administration’s policy, Schumer announced that he is introducing the Protect America’s Workforce Act as a direct amendment to the upcoming Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Step-by-step, the legislative mechanism is designed to choke off funding for the administration’s labor rollbacks:
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The amendment will formally prohibit the use of any authorized federal defense funds to implement or execute the executive order terminating federal labor unions.
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By defunding the implementation mechanics, the measure legally suspends the administration’s capacity to dismantle active contracts.
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This statutory pause effectively restores and locks in existing collective bargaining rights for all affected DoD civilian employees.
Bipartisan Front Formed by Local Officials
The effort to safeguard these local positions has united regional leaders across traditional political divides, highlighting how critical the Rome facilities are to the broader Utica-Rome metropolitan economy.
Utica Mayor Michael P. Galime, a former employee at Rome Lab who understands the facilities from an internal perspective, stood firmly with the senator. “Whenever this many employees across any industry lose their right to collective bargaining it creates uncertainty in the workforce. 1,100 local individuals who are part of our Utica and Rome community are caught in the cross-fire,” Galime noted, expressing his support for bipartisan cooperation to protect the local workforce.
New York State Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-119) similarly praised the effort, drawing attention to the high concentration of military veterans within the civilian defense workforce. Nationwide, the DoD’s 300,000 civilian employees represent the single largest population of veterans found in any federal agency.
“Because so many DoD civilian employees are veterans themselves, ending collective bargaining at the department effectively leaves a workforce that previously served in uniform with fewer tools to advocate for fair treatment in their civilian roles. That is not how we should treat our vets.” — U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer
Evaluating the Operational Debate
Proponents of the administration’s civil service overhauls have historically argued that reducing the scope of federal collective bargaining agreements increases operational flexibility, slashes administrative overhead, and accelerates decision-making speeds within national security agencies.
However, local union representatives counter that stripping these rights actively damages the government’s ability to retain top-tier talent. Mary Sharp, President of AFGE Local 2612, explained that the loss of collective bargaining rights, combined with concurrent administration buyouts, hiring freezes, and reductions-in-force, has severely strained workplace stability and mission readiness at both DFAS and AFRL.
A Proven Record of Protecting Rome Jobs
This legislative battle marks the latest chapter in a multi-decade effort by New York lawmakers to insulate the Rome facilities from federal down-sizing and automation threats.
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2023–2024: Schumer secured strict protection provisions in previous NDAA bills, saving 600 DFAS Rome positions from being eliminated by automated software and forcing management to implement AFGE retraining programs.
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2020: Mandated increased congressional oversight, requiring the DoD to prove explicit cost savings before transferring any DFAS personnel.
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2018: Led the successful Senate block against a proposed 25% budget cut to civilian defense workforces, preserving 200 local positions.
Conclusion: Stand With Our Local Workers
The ongoing struggle to protect collective bargaining rights at DFAS and AFRL Rome is fundamentally a fight for the economic stability of the Mohawk Valley. These 1,100 civil servants keep our nation secure, balance the books for our military, and invest their paychecks directly back into our local communities.
What is your take on the federal labor dispute impacting our neighbors in Rome? We want to hear from you. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, share this report with your network, and contact your congressional representatives to let them know where you stand on protecting Mohawk Valley defense jobs.
