AFGE Locals Sue EPA Over Contract and Speech Limits

On September 29, 2026, two American Federation of Government Employees locals, including Local 3248 in Lowell, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Boston. The suit challenges the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to void the union’s collective bargaining contract and to suppress protests by government scientists and other employees.

The action follows an announcement by the EPA, under the direction of Lee Zeldin, to discard the union agreement and to limit public‑employee speech concerning the agency’s coal‑friendly environmental policies.