NTEU Members Voice Support for Merit-Based Civil Service

In addition to NTEU’s objections to the Schedule Policy/Career plan – formerly known as Schedule F – a large number of NTEU members filed their own individual comments and shared them with us. Here is a small sample of what union members anonymously told the Office of Personnel Management about the plan:

“The foundation of the federal civil service is its merit-based, nonpartisan structure. This is not just a principle—it is a safeguard that ensures public agencies serve all Americans, regardless of political party. Proposals that allow employees to be reclassified into an at-will status—stripped of due process and vulnerable to politically motivated firings—are a direct attack on that foundation,” wrote an NTEU member.

“As a two-tour combat veteran who proudly served this country in Iraq, I am writing—anonymously but with conviction—to voice my firm opposition to any effort to convert federal employees to “at-will” status. This misguided proposal is not just a bureaucratic change—it’s an assault on the dignity, stability, and livelihoods of those who have committed their careers to public service,” wrote another.

“Federal agencies should be staffed by professionals who serve the American public—not by people selected for their political allegiance. If these changes move forward, it will destroy the impartiality of the civil service and erode public trust in government,” wrote a probationary employee who was removed without cause.

“Civil servants must be free to serve the public interest without fear of being fired for their political beliefs or for refusing to carry out unethical orders. This kind of job insecurity undermines the independence of federal workers and discourages whistleblowing and transparency,” another stated.

Thank you for making sure that first-hand, authentic voices of frontline federal employees were heard.