Federal Court Orders Reinstatement of Fired Probationary Federal Employees

Thousands of federal public service workers who keep this country running can return to their jobs because the administration illegally fired them, a judge ruled Thursday. Judge William H. Alsup, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, ordered the administration to rehire thousands of probationary employees who were let go from the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury. Alsup found that the mass termination of probationary employees was illegal because the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had no authority to order it.

The workers should be offered reinstatement within the next week, Alsup ruled in a case filed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFGE Locals 1216 and 2110, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and a number of allied nonprofit organizations.

“AFGE is pleased with Judge Alsup’s order to immediately reinstate tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were illegally fired from their jobs by an administration hellbent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “We are grateful for these employees and the critical work they do, and AFGE will keep fighting until all federal employees who were unjustly and illegally fired are given their jobs back.”
 

“Public service workers are the backbone of our communities in every way. Today, we are proud to celebrate the court’s decision which orders that fired federal employees must be reinstated and reinforces they cannot be fired without reason,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “This is a big win for all workers, especially AFSCME members of the United Nurses Associations of California and District Council 20, who will be able to continue their essential work at the Department of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs Department, and other agencies.” Read more from AFSCME, NPR, The New York Times, and the AP.