Thousands of probationary employees – those were hired relatively recently – were set to be terminated from their jobs in the federal government today. However, a judge’s ruling has saved their jobs – for now.
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“We know this decision is just a first step, but it gives federal employees a respite, said Lee Saunders, president of The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), in a statement.
According to a Thursday press release from The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Judge William H. Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its Acting Director, Charles Ezell.
“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency,” Alsup said. CBS News said there are around 200,000 probationary employees throughout the U.S. federal government.
Alsup found that the termination of probationary federal employees was illegal “because OPM had no authority to order it,” said the release. He ordered the OPM to “immediately notify federal agencies of the ruling, including the Department of Defense, per the labor union.
In a Feb. 21 news release, the DoD said 5,400 probationary workers were expected to be released beginning this week. It said that a hiring freeze would follow while the department conducts “analysis of our personnel needs, complying as always with all applicable laws.”
In order to comply with Alsup’s order, the federal government is required to disclose who participated in a Feb. 13 call that is reportedly when OPM ordered federal agencies to terminate probationary employees. According to Reuters, about 100 people were on the call inside OPM.
That was just one news story about firings within the federal government since President Donald Trump took office. Laying off staff has been cost-saving tactic used by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and multibillionaire Elon Musk, a Trump ally associated with DOGE.
“We’re cutting down the size of government – we have to,” said Trump this week. “We’re bloated, we’re sloppy.”
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene went even further this week, saying that “federal employees do not deserve their jobs,” and that they “do not deserve their paychecks,” per an Audacy report.
Aslup’s order was made in a case brought by a coalition of plaintiffs, including the AFGE, AFSCME as well as other labor groups and organizations. AFGE said the judge indicated that a longer written order would follow his ruling.
Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees said: “This ruling by Judge Alsup is an important initial victory for patriotic Americans across this country who were illegally fired from their jobs by an agency that had no authority to do so,” and others, including Chair Phil Francis of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, also praised the order.
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