A federal judge last week granted AFGE and allies’ request for a preliminary injunction in a case involving President Trump’s executive order ending collective bargaining agreements for federal workers, ruling the EO is likely illegal.
In a 29-page order, Judge James Donato June 24 concluded that Trump’s executive order is very likely a retaliatory attempt to punish federal employee unions for engaging in constitutionally protected speech.
Citing multiple AFGE lawsuits against DOGE and a webpage entitled “What AFGE Is Doing: A Recap of AFGE’s Major Actions Against Trump’s Attacks on Civil Service,” the judge said AFGE has clearly shown that it has spoken out against Trump’s actions since January 2025.
The judge also pointed out that the Fact Sheet the administration released along with the executive order that expressed anti-union views, “is solid evidence of a tie between the exercise of First Amendment rights and a government sanction.”
The court decision blocking the EO until the lawsuit is resolved is a crucial victory for federal workers and the rule of law.
“President Trump revoked our members’ union rights in retaliation for our advocacy on behalf of federal workers and the American people, and we are grateful that Judge Donato saw through his disingenuous ‘national security’ justification and has ordered the immediate restoration of their rights,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.
“Federal employees have had the right to join a union and bargain collectively for decades, including during President Trump’s first term, and at no time have employees’ union rights caused concern for our nation’s national security,” he added. “Revoking these rights was clearly a retaliatory attempt to bust federal unions and wreak havoc on our nation’s workforce and the services they provide to the American people.”
The lawsuit was filed April 3 by six unions: AFGE, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE-SEIU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United (NNU), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who collectively represent more than 950,000 federal employees.
The suit was in response to President Trump’s March 27 executive order ordering agencies to end collective bargaining rights for two-thirds of federal workers. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) also issued guidance telling agencies to end union rights and union contracts and shut down grievance procedures. It also told agencies to continue Trump’s Reduction in Force (RIF) order but ignore RIF requirements in the union contracts that have been cancelled.
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