BREAKING: Federal judge rules on mass firings of federal probationary workers

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From the Associated Press: A federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful, granting some temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop the Trump administration’s massive trimming of the federal workforce.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to inform certain federal agencies that it had no authority to order the firings of probationary employees, including the Department of Defense.

“OPM does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe,” to hire or fire any employees but its own, he said.

Alsup handed down the order on a temporary restraining order sought by labor unions and nonprofits in a lawsuit filed by the coalition filed last week.

The complaint filed by five labor unions and five nonprofit organizations is among multiple lawsuits pushing back on the administration’s efforts to vastly shrink the federal workforce, which Trump has called bloated and sloppy. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired and his administration is now aiming at career officials with civil service protection.

The report explains there are an estimated 20,000 federal probationary workers, which means they have been on the job less than one year. About 75%, or 15,000, of those are employed in California.

Those filing the lawsuit claim that the Office of Personnel Management had no authority to terminate the jobs of probationary workers, although lawyers for the government say the OPM did not direct the firings, but asked agencies to review and determine whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment.

The federal government argues that probationary employees who have only been on the job less than one year are not guaranteed employment and that only the highest performing and mission-critical employees should be hired.

Politico reporter Kyle Cheney wrote:

A federal judge in California has ordered OPM to rescind memos calling for the mass termination of probationary employees, saying the agency overstepped its legal authority and must inform other agencies it lacked the authority to issue such a directive.

The judge said he can’t stop agencies from terminating those employees on their own but that they cannot be ordered by OPM to do so. The judge also wants OPM boss Charles EZELL to testify under oath next month about his communications to agencies about terminations.

Prominent X user @HANKonX wrote:

BREAKING: Bill Clinton appointed Judge William Alsup just BLOCKED President Trump’s mass firing of federal probationary employees, ruling the move illegal.

Alsup slammed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for overstepping its authority. The court ordered OPM to rescind its directives, forcing agencies to evaluate employees individually instead of using mass terminations. This ruling could lead to tens of thousands of reinstatements.

Where was this energy when regular Americans lost their jobs over vax mandates, speech, or political beliefs? Rules for thee, not for D.C. elites.

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