A federal judge has momentarily halted President Trump’s administration from negotiating with thousands of federal employees via an executive order issued last month.
US District Judge Paul Friedman found Trump’s March 27 executive order unlawful and would provide a brief win for the National Federation of Finance Staff (NTEU), which represents approximately 160,000 federal workers.
“The court’s reasoning will be detailed in forthcoming opinions,” Friedman announced on Friday across two pages. The order grants a temporary injunction, preventing the implementation of the executive order.
The executive order limits worker consolidation across various sectors and instructs the government to pause collective bargaining efforts.
Upon the issuance of the order last month, the administration asserted that the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act permitted officials to unite “to prevent antagonistic federal unions from meddling with agency oversight.”
NTEU President Doreen Greenwald praised the ruling, stating it was a win for federal employees. “The rights of the union and the Americans they assist.”
“The interim injunction approved in response to NTEU’s appeals ensures that federal employees’ collective bargaining rights remain safeguarded, hindering the administration’s unlawful agenda that would silence federal employees and dismantle unions,” Greenwald stated. I claimed in a statement on Friday.
“The NTEU will persist in utilizing all available resources to defend federal employees and the essential services they offer against these aggressive actions.
Trump and his administration contend that executive orders are essential for enhancing national security, but the union argues that some departments mentioned in the directive and their employees are not involved in national security functions.
“OPM’s advice on executive orders indicates that a key objective for the president in exempting many agencies from the law’s reporting is to facilitate employee terminations,” remarked a former union lawyer. I noted in a court filing.
