United States federal judge, James Donato, last Thursday granted an injunction after ruling that the administration of US President Donald Trump is ‘likely to have violated the law’ by stripping nearly a million federal government employees of their union rights.
Six unions filed a lawsuit on April in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging Trump’s 27th March executive order that removed collective bargaining rights from about 950,000 federal employees the unions collectively represent.
Trump cited national security as the reason for the executive action, but the unions, led by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), argue that the executive order was unconstitutional retaliation meant to punish them for engaging in activity protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, including vocal opposition and legal challenges to the administration.
The unions also argued that the administration violated the Fifth Amendment when it voided collective bargaining agreements it had properly entered into without due process of law.
The unions further contend that the administration acted in excess of its authority by applying the national security exemption to employees whose primary functions are clearly unrelated to national security.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE-SEIU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United (NNU), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
AFGE National President Everett Kelley said: ‘Federal employees have had the right to join a union and bargain collectively for decades, including during President Trump’s first term, and at no time have employees’ union rights caused concern for our nation’s national security.
‘Revoking these rights was clearly a retaliatory attempt to bust federal unions and wreak havoc on our nation’s workforce and the services they provide to the American people.’
AFSCME President Lee Saunders said: ‘This executive order is a direct effort to silence federal workers’ voice on the job – an essential freedom that helps maintain the integrity of our democracy.
‘Federal workers serve every community, and targeting them through political retribution threatens the freedom of all working people to fight for fair treatment.
‘We applaud this ruling as a critical defence of our communities and our rights at work.’
NAGE National President David J Holway said: ‘Judge Donato’s ruling is a resounding rejection of the Trump administration’s authoritarian tactics and its sham invocation of national security as a cover for union-busting.
‘The court made it clear: national security cannot be used as a smokescreen to silence federal workers. No president is above the law.’
SEIU President April Verrett said: ‘The President’s unlawful executive order attacking federal unions is not an attack on a million federal workers, but is a direct attack on all workers who seek a collective voice to bargain for a better future.
‘The labour movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration’s union-busting tactics silence us.’
NFFE National President Randy Erwin said: ‘The right of federal employees to join a union is protected by the Constitution and has been supported by Presidents of both parties for decades.
‘NFFE and our allies are pleased to see the rule of law upheld and the critical rights of working people protected by Judge Donato.’
AFL-CIO trade union federation President Liz Shuler said: ‘In March, President Trump committed the single biggest act of union-busting in history, stripping nearly 1 million federal workers of their right to collectively bargain and have a voice on the job.
‘The US District Court restored those workers’ voices and their fundamental freedoms while the litigation continues. We are thrilled to see the court block Trump’s executive order.
‘This fight is far from over, but federal workers, the labour movement and our allies have notched an essential victory.’
- Blue Bottle Coffee employees at four San Francisco East Bay locations announced on Thursday that they have joined the Starbucks Workers United trade union which is now comprised of over 570 stores and 11,000 workers.
Blue Bottle is owned by Nestlé, the largest publicly traded food corporation in the world.
Blue Bottle downtown Berkeley shift leader Alex Reyes said: ‘We used to get nice bonuses.
‘I’m a shift lead, I balance so many things. Training people in a rush is hard to do, nearly impossible,’ says Reyes. ‘The cafes are run funny – but not in a good way, like in a bad way.’
- Teamsters at Airgas started a strike on Thursday in response to the company’s unfair labour practices and refusal to negotiate fair contracts. The tankhaul workers, represented by Teamsters Local 507 in Cleveland and Local 701 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, have extended picket lines to eight locations across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Juan Campos, Director of the Teamsters Tankhaul Division and Teamsters International Vice President At-Large said: ‘The greedy people who run this company are breaking the law and interfering with our members’ rights.
‘They have disrespected the workers who built this business, and now they are facing the consequences,’ said.
Airgas is a subsidiary of the French multinational corporation Air Liquide, and is the largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases in the US.
Last year, the company reported a record $3.8 billion in net profits, yet it continues to break the law and refuses to bargain agreements that meet industry standards.
Adam Hayes, an Airgas Teamster and steward with Local 507 said: ‘Management has forced us to strike.
‘Teamsters are united nationwide, and we’ll do whatever it takes to win a fair contract.’
The Teamsters represent hundreds of Airgas workers across the country and are prepared to extend picket lines to even more locations if necessary.
Shawn Diaz, an Airgas Teamster and steward with Local 701, said: ‘This company talks a big game about safety and respect.
‘But when it comes down to it, they won’t even sit across the table and negotiate a real contract.
‘We’ll stay out as long as it takes for Airgas to treat us with the dignity and respect we’ve earned.’
- Democratic Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has signed into law a bill that provides unemployment benefits to striking workers, following neighbouring Washington state in adopting measures spurred by recent walkouts by Boeing factory workers, hospital nurses and teachers in the Pacific Northwest.
Oregon’s measure makes it the first state to provide pay for picketing public employees – who aren’t allowed to strike in most states, let alone receive benefits for it. It makes striking workers eligible to collect unemployment benefits after two weeks, with benefits capped at 10 weeks.
Only three other states – New York, New Jersey and most recently Washington state – give striking workers unemployment benefits. Washington’s bill, which passed in April, pays striking private sector workers for up to six weeks, starting after at least two weeks on the line.
Supporters of the Bill said it would level the playing field between workers and wealthy corporations that can wait until union strike funds run out to pressure employees under financial distress to accept deals.
Oregon has seen two large strikes in recent years: Thousands of nurses and dozens of doctors at Providence’s eight Oregon hospitals were on strike for six weeks earlier this year, while a 2023 walkout of Portland Public Schools teachers shuttered schools for over three weeks in the state’s largest district.
