A federal judge has upheld the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, dismissing a legal challenge from labor unions representing thousands of federal employees.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts ruled that the unions lacked standing to sue, rejecting their claims that the policy had harmed them. “[T]hey allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm,” O’Toole wrote, reported Fox News.
“Aggrieved employees can bring claims through the administrative process,” O’Toole said. “That the unions themselves may be foreclosed from this administrative process does not mean that adequate judicial review is lacking.”
The deferred resignation program, also known as the administration’s “fork in the road” offer, asked government workers to stay or leave after Trump required them to return to their offices shortly after his inauguration. The legal group Democracy Forward had filed a lawsuit over the program on behalf of labor unions that represent thousands of employees., the news channel noted
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began emailing more than 2 million federal civilian employees offering them buyouts to leave their jobs shortly after Trump’s inauguration. The offers quickly outraged labor leaders, and the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) called the offers “shady,” claiming the deals “should not be taken seriously.”
“The offer is not bound by existing law or policy, nor is it funded by Congress,” NFFE National President Randy Erwin said. “There is nothing to hold OPM or the White House accountable to the terms of their agreement.
Despite union opposition, approximately 75,000 federal workers have so far accepted buyouts, according to The Hill. The figure represents roughly 3.5 percent of the federal workforce. Following the court’s decision, an OPM spokesperson confirmed that the program officially ended Wednesday evening, calling it both legal and beneficial. The spokesperson emphasized that it had been carefully designed and provided employees with financial security as they planned for their futures.
Republican attorneys general had supported the program, arguing in legal briefs that the challenge lacked constitutional merit. They maintained that courts should defer to the president’s authority in managing the federal workforce.
With the lawsuit dismissed, the administration’s efforts to reshape federal employment policies remain intact—for now.
