A federal judge issued an order April 25 that temporarily blocks the Trump administration from revoking the union rights of federal workers. A law passed by Congress in 1978 gives federal employees some limited union rights, but excludes agencies that the president determines have intelligence or national security as a primary function. In a March 27 executive order, Trump declared that dozens of agencies — including the Bureau of Land Management, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration — fit that category.
Since none of those agencies actually have intelligence or national security functions, the National Treasury Employees Union filed suit saying the order openly flouts the law. D.C. District Court Judge Paul Friedman agreed that the argument is likely to succeed and issued a preliminary injunction until the case can be heard. He also gave attorneys for each side until May 2 to submit a proposal for how the case should proceed.
