Latest news with #JustinChen
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
EPA axes union contract
'The Trump administration and EPA's unlawful and authoritarian move to unilaterally strip EPA workers of their collective bargaining agreement and workplace rights is nothing short of an assault on our democracy, the rule of law, and the lives of working people in America,' said Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 238, which represents 8,000 EPA staffers, in a written statement. He also said the union would fight the decision, saying 'AFGE Council 238 is united in our fight to defend our rights, our agency's mission, and to protect the future of our country and planet. We will see the administration in court.' An EPA spokesperson cited a March executive order that sought to limit union activity at various agencies. 'EPA is working to diligently implement President Trump's Executive Orders with respect to AFGE, including 'Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs,' in compliance with the law.' an EPA spokesperson told The Hill on Friday. A similar decision was made at the Department of Veterans Affairs this week. Both agencies' actions come after a federal court sided with the Trump administration on the issue.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump's environment agency terminates contract with unionized employees
WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency moved to end its contract with unionized employees, according to the union's president, the latest action in President Donald Trump's push to weaken collective bargaining across the federal government. The union, which represents 8,000 EPA employees, is planning a legal response to the decision, said Justin Chen, president of the agency's chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees, in a statement on Friday. The decision gets Trump closer to his goal to strip hundreds of thousands of federal workers of the ability to collectively bargain with US agencies. Eliminating union deals would allow agencies to more easily fire or discipline employees, attorneys representing federal workers have said. A spokesperson for EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment. The EPA had more than 16,000 employees as of March 2025, according to federal HR records. That figure doesn't include employees that accepted buyouts. The agency said in July it would cut the size of its workforce by at least 23% and close its scientific research office as part of Trump's broad effort to downsize the federal government. Unions are already suing to stop Trump's effort to dismantle collective bargaining agreements. A federal appeals court on August 1 said the administration could move forward with exempting certain federal agencies from their obligation to negotiate with unions. AFGE, which represents the EPA workers, is a plaintiff in that lawsuit.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
EPA dissolves union contract, AFGE says
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unilaterally dissolved a collective bargaining agreement with members of the union that represents its workers, the union said Friday. 'The Trump administration and EPA's unlawful and authoritarian move to unilaterally strip EPA workers of their collective bargaining agreement and workplace rights is nothing short of an assault on our democracy, the rule of law, and the lives of working people in America,' said Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents 8,000 EPA staffers, in a written statement. 'When you strip the rights of EPA workers, you weaken the EPA's ability to do its job and ensure Americans can drink clean water and breathe clean air – and that's exactly what [President] Trump, [EPA Administrator Lee] Zeldin, and their billionaire supporters want,' Chen added. He also said the union would fight the decision, saying 'AFGE Council 238 is united in our fight to defend our rights, our agency's mission, and to protect the future of our country and planet. We will see the administration in court.' The Hill has reached out to the EPA for comment. The EPA's apparent move comes after a similar decision at the Department of Veterans Affairs this week. Both actions come after a federal court sided with the Trump administration on whether it can rescind such contracts. It also comes amid a broader effort to target the federal workforce, with thousands of people across the government being fired.
Bloomberg
05-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Friends Accused of Trading on Data for Edgar Face Widening Probe
The FBI had to move fast when agents learned that two men who were the focus on an insider trading investigation were about to get on a flight to Hong Kong. Before they could board the early morning June 28 flight, federal agents arrested Justin Chen, 31, and Jun Zhen, 29. Prosecutors say they pocketed at least $1 million by taking information they learned from their job at a private company that formats materials before they are submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission 's Edgar filing system.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Workers for SEC's EDGAR System Charged With Insider Trading
(Bloomberg) -- Two men who worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR public filing system were charged with insider trading after allegedly pocketing $1 million by stealing non-public information obtained through their jobs. Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares US Renters Face Storm of Rising Costs Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer Mapping the Architectural History of New York's Chinatown Justin Chen and Jun Zhen, both of Brooklyn, New York, were charged in a federal complaint with obtaining material, non-public information about companies like Purple Innovation Inc., Ondas Holdings Inc., SigmaTron International Inc., and Signing Day Sports Inc. through their work at EDGAR, according to Brooklyn US Attorney Joseph Nocella. Prosecutors say that between March and June 2025 the pair engaged in a scheme to obtain information about these companies, which announced they had entered into merger agreements or partnerships 'that resulted in significant increases in the share price of each company's stock.' Chen, 31, and Zhen, 29, purchased shares in the companies before the announcements, 'and sold those shares at a significant profit immediately after the announcement,' according to a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn. 'In total, Chen and Zhen have made a profit of more than $1 million from their trading.' Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Chen and Zhen Friday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport as they were planning to board a flight to Hong Kong, said John Marzulli, a spokesman for Nocella. Chen worked as an EDGAR operator and assistant manager while Zhen worked as an EDGAR operator and typeset manager, prosecutors said. The two had access to the company announcements before they were filed. Both men are charged with securities fraud, which carries a prison term of as long as 25 years, prosecutors said. Chen and Zhen made their initial court appearances in federal court in Brooklyn on Saturday before US Magistrate Judge Vera Scanlon, who ordered them held without bail. Chris Wright, a lawyer for Zhen, and Charles Millioen, a lawyer for Chen, didn't immediately return email messages seeking comment about their clients. America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1 Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
