A U.S. federal appeals court has lifted an injunction that blocked the Trump administration from limiting collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees. The 2-1 ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court allows enforcement of a controversial executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March, which strips union rights from workers at key federal agencies, citing national security concerns.
The order impacts employees at the Departments of Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services. It affects about 75% of the 1 million federal workers represented by unions, including around 100,000 members of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). The NTEU challenged the order, arguing it violated federal labor rights and the Constitution.
However, the appeals court's majority, including Judges Karen Henderson and Justin Walker, said the union failed to prove irreparable harm and emphasized that the president’s authority in national security matters is in the public interest. The court supported Trump’s use of a national security exemption, asserting that preserving executive autonomy under existing statutes was critical.
Judge J. Michelle Childs dissented, criticizing the administration for offering only vague national security claims to justify the policy change. The ruling allows the Trump-era executive order to take effect, limiting collective bargaining for employees in positions tied to intelligence and national defense functions.
The White House and NTEU have not yet commented on the decision. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pursuing additional legal action to void existing union contracts affecting thousands more federal workers.
This decision marks a major development in federal labor relations, highlighting the ongoing debate over national security and union rights in the U.S. government workforce.