Attorneys for Federal Employees — Nationwide

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Today at a Glance

• House union-rights bill advances: Lawmakers move to undo an executive order that stripped bargaining rights from about 1 million feds.

• SSA may cut field office visits in half: Front‑line staff could see more pressure, shifting duties, and possible office changes.

• DOJ urges Supreme Court to step in on CSRA: A new court fight could affect where and how feds can challenge personnel actions.

Top Stories:

1. House Moves to Restore Union Rights for ~1 Million Federal Workers

Source: Newsweek — December 11, 2025

TL;DR: The House voted 222–200 to move forward on the Protect America’s Workforce Act (PAWA), which would overturn President Trump’s March executive order that took away collective bargaining rights from roughly 1 million federal employees across several agencies. Thirteen Republicans joined Democrats after Rep. Jared Golden forced a vote using a discharge petition, but the bill still has to clear a final House vote, the Senate, and the President’s desk before it becomes law.

For federal employees, this means:

• Your union rights in affected agencies are not restored yet; the executive order still applies for now.
• There is real movement in Congress to roll back the order, so watch for updates from your union and your agency.
• You should not assume that grievance rights or contract protections are back in place until PAWA is actually enacted.

Legal Insight:
This fight is about two key pieces: President Trump’s March 27 executive order “Exclusions from Federal Labor‑Management Relations Programs” and the Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550), which would repeal that order and restore protections under Title 5’s federal labor‑management relations law. Until PAWA is signed into law, employees in covered agencies should act as if the executive order still governs and carefully track any changes in how management and unions handle grievances, negotiations, or representation. Save copies of any notices about changes to union coverage, any refusals to process grievances, and any discipline or RIF actions that happen while your bargaining rights are limited. If a manager or HR tells you your union cannot represent you because of the executive order, ask for that in writing and keep it with your personal records. Because deadlines for grievances, EEO complaints, and MSPB appeals can be short, consider talking with your union and a qualified federal employment attorney if you receive a RIF notice, removal, or serious discipline during this period of uncertainty.

2. SSA Plan Could Slash Field Office Visits and Shift Front‑Line Work

Source: Government Executive — December 10, 2025

TL;DR: Government Executive reports that Social Security Administration leadership has set an internal goal to cut field office visits in half in fiscal 2026 compared to 2025, aiming for no more than 15 million in‑person visits. Four senators sent a letter to Commissioner Frank Bisignano warning that this plan could “quietly kill” field offices and act as a hidden benefit cut by making in‑person service harder to reach. SSA has already reduced staffing, closed some rural offices, and moved at least 1,000 employees away from front‑line roles to national phone lines.

For federal employees, this means:

• SSA front‑line staff may face more pressure with fewer people on the ground and more work shifted to phones or online systems.
• You could see reassignments, changes in duties, or office consolidations framed as “modernization” or “digital first” service.
• Even if you work in another agency, this is another sign that “digital first” often comes with staffing cuts and new performance expectations.

Legal Insight:
This situation involves agency plans, funding limits, and standard Title 5 rules on reassignments, reductions in force (RIFs), and realignments of functions, as well as collective bargaining duties where unions are in place. If you are at SSA, watch for formal notices about realignments, office closures, directed reassignments, or workload changes, and save every notice and email you receive. If you are in a bargaining unit, review your union contract for provisions on office closures, telework, and reassignments, and share proposed changes with your union. Anyone facing a directed reassignment or possible RIF should calendar all response and appeal deadlines as soon as they see them; grievance and MSPB timelines are short and strictly enforced. Because these changes can quickly turn into RIFs or other adverse actions, consider talking with your union and a qualified federal employment attorney if you are told you must relocate, accept a very different position, or face separation.

3. DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Rein In CSRA “End‑Run”

Source: FedSmith — December 8, 2025

TL;DR: FedSmith reports that the Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court for emergency relief from a recent Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that allowed some federal employees to bypass the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) process and sue directly in federal district court. DOJ argues that the ruling “cracked open a door Congress meant shut” by weakening the CSRA’s unified system for handling personnel disputes through MSPB, EEO, and OSC. Unions and other groups have filed many challenges to Trump‑era personnel changes, and some of these cases may now end up before the Supreme Court.

For federal employees, this means:

• In at least one part of the country, there is a new question about whether some federal workers can go straight to district court instead of using normal CSRA channels.
• DOJ’s position is that the usual administrative routes still apply unless and until the Supreme Court says otherwise.
• How the Supreme Court responds could affect where and how you challenge future personnel actions.

Legal Insight:
The CSRA, passed in 1978, was meant to create a single, specialized system for reviewing most federal personnel actions, usually through MSPB, EEOC, or OSC, instead of directly in federal district court. The Fourth Circuit’s decision appears to allow some employees to go around that system, and DOJ is asking the Supreme Court to restore the rule that CSRA procedures are generally the exclusive path. For now, most employees should still assume that standard CSRA channels and timelines apply for removals, suspensions, discrimination claims, whistleblower reprisal, and other major actions. Missing a filing deadline or choosing the wrong forum can permanently end a claim, so read every proposal and decision letter carefully and note each stated deadline on a calendar. Because the choice of forum and timing is especially sensitive while this issue is before the Supreme Court, consider talking with your union and a qualified federal employment attorney before deciding how to move forward on a serious personnel dispute.

Mindful Moment of the Day

Facing the Metrics Without Freezing

Seeing your case counts, backlog numbers, or dashboard charts can make your brain shout, “I’ll never catch up.” Notice that first wave of panic and give yourself three deep breaths before you touch the keyboard. Then pick one tiny thing you can do in the next 15 minutes—close one file, send one update, or plan tomorrow’s top three tasks. Mindfulness here is not ignoring the numbers; it’s shrinking them down to the size of the next doable action.