IRS Removed Union Decorations & Materials Posted by Employees

On May 29, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) facilities officials issued a directive — quoted in press reports — instructing staff to “conduct a walkthrough of your post of duty and remove any and all NTEU materials” by June 5, citing the President's executive order cancelling collective bargaining agreements. Government Executive reported that facilities personnel confiscated union flyers and flags from employees' cubicles and papered over communal bulletin boards; NTEU sued on June 15, 2026, alleging viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment. In late June, the IRS and NTEU filed a joint stipulation under which the agency paused the directive and agreed to return confiscated materials not already destroyed. In August 2026, the IRS promulgated a new policy permitting only “agency-sponsored materials” on communal bulletin boards and stating “employees are not authorized to post written materials in IRS facilities,” and argued the lawsuit was moot; NTEU responded that it had received “conflicting information” about the new policy and was not ready to drop the case.