WACO, Texas (KXXV) — President Trump has filed a lawsuit in the Waco federal court against the "American Federation of Government Employees" union.
President Trump’s administration has taken legal action against the AFGE, which is the largest union representing federal workers.
25 News talked to a Baylor political science professor who explained what this lawsuit means.
President Trump filed this lawsuit against the AFGE union in Waco federal court because AFGE district 10 is headquartered in Killeen and represents more than 90 thousand federal employees.
Baylor Political Science Professor Pat Flavin says, “It’s kind of exciting that it’s playing out here in Waco.”
The lawsuit alleges that the union entered into a last-minute collective bargaining agreement with the Biden administration to prevent Trump from overseeing the federal workforce. The president is asking for a declaratory judgment stating Trump acted within lawfully appointed power in the name of national security.
“It gives the president, by design, a lot of leeway to say what a national security concern or situation is," Flavin said.
AFGE released a statement stating that it will challenge the Trump administration for illegally attempting to strip over one million federal workers of collective bargaining rights.
“This administration’s bullying tactics represent a clear threat not just to federal employees and their unions, but to every American,"AFGE president Everett Kelley said.
“It could take weeks, if not months," Flavin said. "Whatever the ruling, it will most certainly be appealed. It will end up at the Supreme Court because we’re on untreaded legal ground here."
You can see the full AFGE statement here:
https://www.afge.org/article/afge-will-challenge-trumps-illegal-directive-outlawing-federal-unions/
The union is encouraging workers to make their voices heard.
They encourage you to call a member of Congress, give them your opinion, and join upcoming rallies.
Here is a look at the lawsuit:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txwd.1172831290/gov.uscourts.txwd.1172831290.1.0.pdf
