Court Prevents Trump Administration From Banning Collective Bargaining For Federal Employees

Court Prevents Trump Administration From Banning Collective Bargaining For Federal Employees

On April 25, 2025, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman issued a temporary injunction blocking a significant portion of President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to eliminate collective bargaining rights for a large segment of the federal workforce. This executive order, signed in March, aimed to exempt over two dozen federal agencies—including the Departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, and Health and Human Services—from union bargaining obligations, citing national security concerns. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), representing approximately 160,000 federal employees, challenged the order, arguing that the affected employees do not primarily engage in national security work and that the order was a retaliatory move against unions opposing Trump’s policies. Judge Friedman ruled that the order was unlawful, noting that a detailed opinion would follow. The injunction is seen as a victory for federal workers and unions, though the Trump administration plans to appeal the decision. ​Daily Herald+3AP News+3The Washington Post+3AP News+3Reuters+3The Washington Post+3The Washington Post+1Reuters+1

This ruling is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges against the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal workforce and limit union influence. For instance, in 2018, U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson struck down key provisions of Trump’s executive orders that aimed to restrict the power of federal employee unions, stating that the directives undermined federal employees’ right to bargain collectively. ​The Washington Post+1Daily Herald+1The Washington Post+2POLITICO+2AFL-CIO+2

The recent injunction underscores ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and federal employee unions, highlighting the judiciary’s role in checking executive actions that may overstep legal boundaries.