9th Circuit Appeals Court Upholds Trump Order Stripping Bargaining Rights

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled on Thursday that Donald Trump may proceed with a 2025 executive order that removes collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees. The ruling reverses a previous decision by U.S. District Judge James Donato, concluding that exempting agencies with national security, investigative, or intelligence functions was legitimately grounded in security concerns. Affected agencies include the departments of Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, and Health and Human Services.

The White House described the ruling as a "great legal victory" and a means to properly manage the federal government. In contrast, the American Federation of Government Employees argued the order was a retaliatory measure against those challenging administration policies, a claim the court rejected.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, stated that the decision is not a final ruling on the order's legality. He indicated the union may seek further review from the full 9th Circuit to challenge the outcome.