MAJOR WIN: Federal Court Orders Reinstatement of Fired Probationary Federal Employees
When we fight, we win!
In a major development in the legal fight to get fired probationary federal employees their jobs back, a judge rules workers were illegally fired by the Trump administration.
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, presided over by Judge William H. Alsup, granted a Preliminary Injunction broadening a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its Acting Director, Charles Ezell, finding the termination of probationary federal employees illegal because OPM had no authority to order it.
The judge ordered immediate reinstatement of terminated probationary employees of the Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Energy, Defense, and Treasury departments, and these agencies must cease termination of probationary employees, effective immediately.
The judge also forbade OPM from giving any guidance to federal agencies on which employees should be terminated. The agencies also must provide a compliance report to the court. The judge also authorized depositions and ordered further briefing on whether the administrative channel for fired workers is actually available, or if it has been destroyed by firings of appeals board and office of special counsel personnel.
AFGE joined with more than a dozen other unions and advocacy groups to bring this legal challenge against the Trump administration in defense of unjustly, illegally fired probationary federal workers. This latest decision is a important development in our fight back against the attacks on dedicated civil servants.
In our press statement following the decision, AFGE National President Everett Kelley said, “AFGE is pleased with Judge Alsup’s order to immediately reinstate tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were illegally fired from their jobs by an administration hellbent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public. We are grateful for these employees and the critical work they do, and AFGE will keep fighting until all federal employees who were unjustly and illegally fired are given their jobs back.”
Click here to read our full statement and stay connected with our latest actions at afge.org/AFGEStrong.
Let’s continue to keep the pressure on in the streets and in the courts as we continue our fight for federal workers and the services we rely on.
In Solidarity,
AFGE