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Shaun Southworth leading a federal employment training session with members of the Southworth PC team
 

VA’s Union Contract Termination and the Legal Crosshairs

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In a sweeping move, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has unilaterally terminated every major collective bargaining agreement (CBA) covering 377,000 employees. This action wa...

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BREAKING: VA Slashes Union Rights for 377,000 Workers

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Late on August 6th, VA Secretary Doug Collins took sweeping action that immediately undermines bargaining rights for over 377,000 VA employees—including nurses, doctors, claims rep...

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Ninth Circuit Ruling Revives Trump-Era Union Limits

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A significant legal shift occurred last Friday. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily lifted a lower court’s injunction that had been protecting federal employees’ collect...

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D.C. Circuit Ruling Threatens Union Rights for Federal Workers

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On July 16, 2025, the D.C. Circuit Court allowed President Trump’s executive order to take effect, redefining more than 30 federal agencies as “national-security” operations. While...

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Senate Reconciliation Bill Spares Federal Pay and Pensions

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Federal employees woke up to rare good news this Monday. The Senate released its latest text for the giant reconciliation bill – and nearly every proposed cut to your pay, pension,...

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Court Blocks Executive Order Targeting Federal Unions

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A significant legal development is offering breathing room for thousands of federal workers: a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting parts of an executive order...

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TSA Union Contract Reinstated After Federal Court Ruling

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A significant legal decision out of Washington State has turned the tables for over 47,000 TSA officers—and may offer hope to federal employees everywhere concerned about due proce...

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Two Federal Rulings Halt Trump's Anti-Union Order—For Now

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In a major turn for federal employees, two court rulings have temporarily stalled the Trump administration’s efforts to strip away collective bargaining rights from large portions ...

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Agencies May Sideline Unions After Court Revives Executive Orders

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A recent federal appeals court decision has shaken the foundation of collective bargaining rights for millions of federal employees. On Friday, a split panel of the D.C. Circuit li...

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Federal Unions Score Major Victory: Stay Mindful and Engaged

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Late last night, federal employees across the country received hopeful news: a federal judge froze an order that threatened to dismantle key union protections across multiple agenc...

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Is National Security Being Used Against Federal Unions?

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A remarkable and deeply concerning legal move is unfolding—one that may affect the future of union protections for hundreds of thousands of federal employees. As we practice mindfu...

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Federal Employees: How to Protect Yourself Amid Potential Layoffs

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This is not a drill. Federal agencies are moving quickly to implement Reductions in Force (RIFs)—and recent guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may strip your un...

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Shaun Southworth & Lydia Taylor

Meet the federal employment attorneys behind this public-education work and the podcast Civil Rights for Civil Servants.

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