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2h ago

Unions Ask Judge to Halt 1,300 State Department Layoffs Set for Friday

The unions say a shutdown-ending spending law pauses all reduction-in-force actions through January 30.

United States Department of State logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration created on April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
A provision in the spending bill that ended the most recent shutdown barred agencies from taking any step to implement a reduction in force from the day the shutdown began on Oct. 1 through Jan. 30.

Overview

  • AFGE and AFSA filed in San Francisco seeking a temporary restraining order by Friday morning to stop separations affecting about 1,100 civil service employees and nearly 250 Foreign Service positions.
  • Plaintiffs cite the continuing resolution’s bar on initiating, carrying out, implementing, or noticing RIFs from Oct. 1 to Jan. 30, a provision Democratic lawmakers say includes no exemption for earlier notices.
  • The administration relies on guidance from OMB and the Justice Department asserting RIFs announced before Oct. 1 fall outside the law’s pause, and State told employees the cuts will proceed.
  • The lawsuit also targets recent or pending actions at other agencies, including 247 Education Department Office for Civil Rights positions, roughly 270 Defense employees at DTIC and DCAA, about 200 at GSA, and around 75 at SBA that plaintiffs say should be reversed.
  • U.S. District Judge Susan Illston had not ruled or requested a hearing as of Thursday afternoon, as unions highlight plummeting Foreign Service morale reflected in an AFSA survey.