NTEU Joins Multi-Union Fight Against Shutdown RIFs

Read the News Release.

Employees represented by NTEU would be protected from RIFs during the government shutdown under an amended lawsuit filed late Tuesday night by NTEU.

The lawsuit has already had some immediate success shielding certain groups of employees. A California judge on Oct. 15 issued a temporary restraining order blocking the government from conducting a reduction-in-force during the government shutdown for employees represented by AFGE and AFSCME. The order was expanded to additional unions on Oct. 17.

Now, NTEU and even more unions have added their names to the cause to stop the administration’s unlawful plan to implement a mass layoff without justification.

“NTEU proudly stands in solidarity with other unions to fight the administration’s reckless plan to send federal employees around the country to the unemployment lines and deprive Americans of the government services they expect and deserve,” said NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald.

The unions also requested a preliminary injunction against the RIFs, which is a longer ban that would extend past the Oct. 29 expiration of the temporary restraining order.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California has scheduled a hearing on the case for Oct. 28.

This multi-union lawsuit is one of several legal battles NTEU has ongoing to protect federal employees from layoffs, removals, loss of union rights, harmful job reclassifications and agency dismantling.

For more detailed information on these and other cases, see On the Docket.