Legislation Reintroduced to End Taxpayer-Funded Union Activities During Work Hours

Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Ben Cline aim to codify reforms ensuring federal employees perform union-related tasks only on personal time.

The No Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime Act was reintroduced in 2025 by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.).
The bill seeks to eliminate the use of taxpayer dollars to compensate federal employees for union-related activities conducted during official work hours.
Under current law, federal employees can use paid time, known as 'official time,' for union duties, costing taxpayers millions annually, including $135 million in FY 2019 alone.
The legislation builds on a Trump-era executive order and would apply these restrictions across the entire federal workforce, ensuring public funds are used solely for government functions.
Parallel efforts, like Sen. Ernst’s Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act, propose requiring unions to reimburse the government for expenses related to union activities.