A federal judge on Thursday declined a request from a coalition of government employee unions to prevent the Trump administration from proceeding with significant reductions to the federal workforce.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that federal law requires the unions to bring their case before the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), which handles labor disputes within the federal government, rather than pursuing legal action in a federal district court.
The ruling marks another legal victory for the Trump administration’s Justice Department, which has been defending against multiple lawsuits challenging various executive orders, including those aimed at reducing government spending and restructuring federal agencies.
“The first month of President Trump’s second administration has been defined by an onslaught of executive actions that have caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society,” Cooper wrote.
He further noted, “Affected citizens and their advocates have challenged many of these actions on an emergency basis in this Court and others across the country. Certain of the President’s actions have been temporarily halted; others have been permitted to proceed, at least for the time being. These mixed results should surprise no one.”
The unions’ lawsuit contested the administration’s decision to terminate a large number of probationary employees, its broader plans for additional layoffs—commonly referred to as a reduction in force—and its offer of buyouts to most federal employees.
A separate lawsuit previously sought to block the buyouts but was dismissed by another federal judge. However, litigation concerning the dismissal of probationary employees remains ongoing, as a coalition of unions filed a new lawsuit on Thursday to challenge those terminations.
The case was brought by several unions, including the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the National Federation of Federal Employees, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, and the United Auto Workers.
These unions argued that the administration’s workforce reduction strategy violates both the constitutional separation of powers and the established regulations governing how federal job cuts should be carried out.
Cooper did not weigh in on the merits of these claims, instead determining that the unions had filed their challenge in the incorrect venue.
“The Court acknowledges that district court review of these sweeping executive actions may be more expedient. But NTEU provides no reason why it could not seek relief from the FLRA on behalf of a class of plaintiffs and admits that it would ask other agencies to follow an administrative judge’s ruling in its favor,” Cooper wrote.
Meanwhile, President Trump recently dismissed Susan Grundmann, the Democratic-appointed chair of the FLRA. Grundmann, however, is contesting her removal in court.