Clinton-appointed federal judge blocks Trump admin from pulling foreign service workers' bargaining rights
In a move that adds to an ever-growing stack of court interventions that have stymied the president's second-term agenda, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from targeting foreign service workers' collective bargaining rights amid an ongoing challenge against an executive order.
The American Foreign Service Association, a labor union for foreign service workers, lodged a legal challenge after President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this year that, according to a White House fact sheet, aimed to "end collective bargaining with Federal unions in" various government entities "with national security missions."
"Certain Federal unions have declared war on President Trump’s agenda," the release asserted. "Protecting America’s national security is a core constitutional duty, and President Trump refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests."
Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia — who was nominated by then-President Bill Clinton decades ago — issued the order granting the plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction.
The order signed by Friedman states, in part, that Trump's executive order "is unlawful as applied to the Defendants who are heads of agencies with employees represented by the Plaintiff."
"The effect of the Executive Order was substantial: it removed collective bargaining rights from approximately two-thirds of the federal workforce," Friedman's opinion declared, echoing verbatim a sentence included in an opinion Friedman issued last month in a similar case.
In that case, which was brought by the National Treasury Employees Union, Friedman also targeted Trump's executive order and granted a motion for a preliminary injunction.
JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP ORDER ENDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS FOR MOST FEDERAL WORKERS
American Foreign Service Association President Tom Yazdgerdi called the ruling "a significant victory—not just for our members, but for the integrity of the Foreign Service and for the accountability and transparency of our member agencies," according to a press release issued by the union.
"President Trump eliminated collective bargaining agreements that risk national security interests. He will always prioritize public safety for the American people," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement the White House provided to Fox News Digital on Thursday.
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Fox News Digital also reached out to the Justice Department for comment, but they did not immediately respond.