Appeals court unlocks confidential plans agencies didn't want unions to see
Federal courts just handed unions a win in their fight to see the Trump administration's roadmap for cutting thousands of government jobs.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled January 5 that the government cannot hide its internal workforce reduction plans from employee unions challenging mass layoffs across federal agencies.
The case stems from President Trump's Executive Order 14210, signed shortly after he took office, which told agency heads to prepare for large-scale reductions in force. Federal employee unions and advocacy groups immediately sued, arguing the administration overstepped its legal authority.
What turned into a courtroom battle was not just about whether the cuts could happen, but whether unions could see the actual plans detailing how agencies intended to downsize their workforces. The government said no, calling the documents internal deliberations that should remain confidential. The unions said they needed to see the plans to properly challenge them in court.
A district court sided with the unions and ordered the administration to hand over the Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans that agencies submitted to the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management. These documents spell out which positions get eliminated, how offices get consolidated, and where agencies plan to automate work or close field locations.
The plans contain agency...
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