Judge Dismisses Trump Bid to End Federal Union Rights

A federal judge in Texas, Alan Albright, dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit seeking preemptive judicial approval to strip collective bargaining rights from federal employees at several agencies. The administration attempted to use a provision of the Civil Service Reform Act and framed the move as a national security measure, but the court found the agencies lacked legal standing and stressed that federal courts do not issue advisory opinions on potential future actions. Albright, a Trump appointee, issued a warning that granting such requests could set a dangerous precedent by inviting executive requests for judicial pre-approval of executive orders. The ruling cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA, which limits broad judicial intervention. The decision is a setback for Trump's efforts to ease the firing of federal employees and reduce union influence. The American Federation of Government Employees and other unions had strongly opposed the administration's attempt to end bargaining rights across agencies.