The Trump administration can move forward with disregarding collective bargaining agreements for federal workers at nearly two dozen agencies after an appeals circuit panel paused a lower court order.
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit blocked a preliminary injunction from Judge James Donato for the US District Court for the Northern District of California while the government appeals it.
Donato had ordered Trump officials and federal agencies to continue recognizing unionization rights for workers represented by the American Federation of Government Employees and several other unions.
Trump earlier this year declared over 40 agencies and sub-agencies exempt from union protections including within the departments of Labor, State, Defense, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Education. Unions sued to preserve those protections.
The Ninth Circuit’s order dated July 7 comes after the US Supreme Court upheld an administrative stay of an injunction stopping widespread government layoffs issued by another California federal judge.
The circuit panel scheduled oral arguments on the preliminary injunction’s appeal for July 17.
The unions were represented by attorneys with Bredhoff & Kaiser, PLLC, Feinberg Jackson Worthman & Wasow LLP, in addition to their own counsel. Justice Department lawyers represented the administration.
The case is AFGE v. Trump, 9th Cir., No. 25-4014, 7/7/25.
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