Adversaries Don’t Wait for Arbitration

Threats don’t wait. 

Cybercriminal networks don’t file grievances.

Terror cells don’t pause for contract negotiations.

America’s enemies move fast. Our national security agencies must be able to move faster.

That’s why the recent federal appeals court decision upholding President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting collective bargaining in certain national security agencies is so important. The ruling affirms a simple but critical principle: when national defense is on the line, operational agility must come first.

This debate is about recognizing that agencies charged with protecting classified intelligence, defending critical infrastructure, securing borders, and countering cyber threats operate in a fundamentally different environment than typical federal offices.

In the private sector, disputes can wind through grievance processes and arbitration. Time is money. In national security, time is safety.

Federal labor disputes can take months, or sometimes years, to fully resolve. During that period, managers may face limits on reassignment, discipline, or structural changes. That kind of rigidity might be manageable in administrative functions. It is far more consequential when dealing with intelligence analysis, cyber defense, or counterterrorism operations.

Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a champion of organized labor, warned in 1937 that collective bargaining “cannot be transplanted into the public service.” His concern wasn’t hostility toward workers; it was clarity about responsibility. Government serves the public. And when essential national functions are involved, accountability must be direct and decisive.

The Constitution charges the federal government to “provide for the common defense.” That responsibility cannot be diluted by procedural delay in agencies whose missions change by the hour.

This ruling restores flexibility where it matters most. It reinforces clear chains of command. It recognizes that in a world of accelerating threats, from state actors to sophisticated cyber adversaries, America cannot afford to manage its security apparatus like an ordinary workplace.

Adversaries don’t wait for arbitration.

Neither can we.