FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2026
July 21, 2026
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
AFGE and NFFE Ask District Court to Block DoD from Gutting Union Agreements
Categories:
DoD
Unions file motion for preliminary injunction to stop Secretary Hegseth’s direction that DoD immediately terminate hundreds of collective bargaining agreements across the country
WASHINGTON – More than 20 union affiliates of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) have filed a motion asking U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher to issue a preliminary injunction preventing implementation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive terminating hundreds of union contracts throughout the Department of Defense (DoD).
On July 2, 2026, AFGE locals and councils along with three NFFE affiliates filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland challenging the termination of their contracts. On April 9, Secretary Hegseth issued a memorandum directing DoD agencies and components to immediately terminate all collective bargaining agreements, with limited exceptions. The direction came a year after President Trump signed Executive Order 14251, which wrongfully stripped over 1 million federal employees of their union rights.
In the lawsuit, the unions argue that Hegseth’s actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act in multiple ways. In particular, the memo and the contract terminations that followed were not based on reasoned decision making, as required by law, and misinterpreted the executive order they were purportedly based on. As a result of Hegseth’s actions, tens of thousands of hardworking federal employees, many of whom are veterans and members of military families, lost union rights they have had for decades.
The preliminary injunction filed Monday, July 20, asks the court to enjoin, or halt, implementation of Hegseth’s April 9 directive and order DoD to rescind the CBA termination notices issued pursuant to the unlawful directive.
“The termination of our lawfully negotiated and binding agreements is an insult to the dedicated career civil servants who work alongside military service members every day to protect and defend our country – many of whom are veterans themselves,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “This undemocratic assault on our members’ workplace rights and protections must not be allowed continue for one second longer.”
“For decades, under leadership of both Republicans and Democrats, Defense Department workers have had the right to unionize,” NFFE National President Randy Erwin said. “The Trump administration unilaterally terminating collective bargaining agreements with the dedicated civil servants who maintain our military readiness is shameful and illegal. It is time for the courts to put an end to this assault on the workplace rights of our members and DoD employees across the country.”
The AFGE plaintiffs are Council 169, Council 170, Council 171, Council 172, Council 235, Council 240, Council 275, Local 54, Local 779, Local 916, Local 987, Local 1410, Local 1504, Local 1592, Local 1658, Local 1836, Local 1858, Local 2065, Local 2449, and Local 3283. The NFFE plaintiffs are Local 178, Local 476, and Local 639.
The plaintiffs in this case are represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP and Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP.
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