Appeals Court Says Trump Can Prevent Some Federal Employees From Unionizing

The court vacated a preliminary injunction that had been entered against the president and his administration.

Labor union members hold placards on the day of a rally in support of federal workers during a rush hour protest outside the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station in Washington on March 24, 2025. Kent Nishimura/Reuters

President Donald Trump can prevent some federal employees from unionizing, a federal appeals court ruled on June 17.

The president is authorized in federal law to, for national security considerations, exclude agencies from coverage under laws recognizing a right to engage in collective bargaining, a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said.