Civil Service
Trump administration, unions already trading lawsuits over order outlawing most government labor groups
Federal agencies swiftly sued the American Federation of Government Employees last week, asking a lone Trump-appointed judge to uphold an order banning unions for two-thirds of the federal workforce.
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Trump order aims to outlaw most government unions on ‘national security’ grounds
An as-yet unpublished executive order purports to utilize a little-used provision allowing the president to restrict collective bargaining for national security reasons to exempt most federal jobs from union protections.
Judge: Musk and Trump’s effort to disband USAID is likely unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang found that the Trump administration and Elon Musk violated the constitutional separation of powers and the Appointments Clause when it ordered the shuttering of the foreign aid agency.
The Trump administration is taking steps to comply with court orders to reinstate tens of thousands of fired workers
Some employees are already receiving notices that they will rejoin the payroll.
Workers and partners make renewed push to block Trump’s dismantling of USAID
An effort to enjoin the Trump administration from placing thousands of USAID workers on administrative leave in advance of their eventual termination failed last month.
Trump administration moves to politicize top HR officials following firing at IRS
Guidance from the Office of Personnel Management justified the decision by citing chief human capital officers’ role in implementing Biden-era diversity policies.
MSPB orders temporary reinstatement of nearly 6,000 probationary workers at USDA
These Agriculture Department employees must be allowed back to their jobs for 45 days, as the Office of Special Counsel continues to investigate the Trump administration’s purge of recently hired, promoted or transferred federal employees.
Updated
Some agencies are still firing probationers while others have recalled theirs, following court ruling
There appears to be confusion throughout the Trump administration as to the impacts of the court's decision, with some agencies pausing their personnel actions to assess the fallout.
House Dems: Immediately reinstate fired feds
A group of 85 lawmakers called on the Office of Special Counsel to broaden its recommendation earlier this week to stay the firing of six employees on probationary periods to all probationary workers purged in recent days.
Judge orders Trump administration to rescind directives on probationary employee firings
The administration did not have the authority to issue the dismissals, federal court rules.
OPM tells court it never ordered mass firings, contradicting prior claims
The Trump administration is arguing in court that agencies acted on their own to fire probationary staff, but it previously sent a government directive with a deadline for the firings.
23,000 federal prison workers are set to take pay cuts up to 25% next month
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said the decision to severely curtail retention incentive payments across the federal carceral system stems from fixed cost increases associated with operating under a continuing resolution.
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Board agrees to pause firings for some feds, potentially upending Trump's widespread terminations
The employees must be reinstated to their roles pending further investigation, appeals board rules.
Trump to convert some top career roles to political appointments and evaluate execs on adherence to president’s agenda
New policy ensures top roles can only be filled by the "administration's political cronies," senior executive group says.
Killing the Presidential Management Fellows program threatens the future of federal labor
COMMENTARY | A former fellow urges the Trump administration to reopen the door to this program that attracted talent and leaders to the federal workforce.
Exclusive
Oversight agency finds Trump’s federal worker firings unlawful, asks for some employees to be reinstated
The findings could have sweeping impacts for the tens of thousands of recently dismissed workers.
Updated
Trump administration asks all feds to justify their jobs or risk losing them
Employees throughout government are receiving emails asking them what they did last week.
Judge, convinced of overseas employees’ safety, denies injunction against USAID
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols’ ruling Friday clears the way for the Trump administration to place the vast majority of USAID’s workforce on administrative leave as it prepares an effort to the shutter the agency.
Judge denies federal unions’ request to block mass probationary firings
The federal judge said in a preliminary ruling that the National Treasury Employees Union likely must first bring their challenge to the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
‘Salting the earth’: Trump ends presidential management fellowships and federal executive boards
The move to kill a key pipeline for aspiring civil servants and regional agency councils reflects a desire to make it impossible to rebuild the federal bureaucracy, experts said.
Social Security offers 40 probationary feds reassignments to avert blanket firings
Around 40 Social Security Administration employees were given eight hours—or until 4:30 p.m. Thursday—to decide whether to accept reassignments to a field or hearing office, teleservice center or payment center and avoid being swept up in the Trump administration’s purge of the federal workforce.
