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Judge Blocks Trump Order Ending Collective Bargaining Rights for Federal Workers

The decision follows unions’ contention that the national security exemption was a pretext to punish dissent by undermining constitutionally protected speech

Protesters hold signs in solidarity with the American Federation of Government Employees of District 14 at a rally in support of federal workers at the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, DC, March 4, 2025.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of state and governments hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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Overview

  • Judge James Donato on June 24 granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Trump’s March 27 executive order across about 20 federal agencies.
  • The order aimed to strip collective bargaining rights from agencies designated as having national security missions, affecting roughly 75% of unionized federal workers.
  • Unions led by the American Federation of Government Employees argued the order was intended to punish opposition and infringed on First Amendment protections.
  • Earlier in May, a D.C. Circuit panel lifted a preliminary block on seven agencies, creating conflicting rulings as litigation moves to the Ninth Circuit.
  • The administration has appealed Donato’s ruling to the Ninth Circuit as unions prepare for a trial on the order’s constitutionality.