AFSCME Wins Extension of Order Barring Trump Administration’s Illegal Shutdown Firing

 SAN FRANCISCO – A federal court has extended its order barring the Trump administration from firing federal workers because of the government shutdown as litigation filed by labor unions proceeds.

 During a hearing Oct. 28 before Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, attorneys for the unions argued that the administration violated the law by threatening to fire federal workers furloughed because of the shutdown and ordering employees to work unpaid during the shutdown to carry out the mass terminations. The unions are represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP, Democracy Defenders Fund, and Democracy Forward.

 Judge Illston granted the unions’ request for a preliminary injunction that will prevent the administration from issuing reductions-in-force or implementing those already filed during the shutdown. The injunction continues the temporary restraining order the judge previously issued.

 The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) initially filed the lawsuit on Sept. 30. The lawsuit has since been expanded to include employees represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

 Every Cabinet department and 24 independent agencies are included in the lawsuit. Programs, projects, or activities (PPAs) that include any bargaining unit or member represented by a plaintiff union within these agencies are covered by the lawsuit.

 “Today’s ruling is another victory for federal workers and our ongoing efforts to protect their jobs from an administration hellbent on illegally firing them,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Unlike the billionaires in this administration, public service workers dedicate themselves to serving their communities. These attempted mass firings would devastate both the workers and the people they serve. We will keep fighting to protect public service jobs against this administration’s unlawful efforts to eliminate them.”