Judge rules in favour of Trump’s push to persuade Federal workers to resign
George A. O’Toole Jr., U.S. district, dissolved his restraining order on Trump administration's to resign for millions of federal workers.
A federal judge in Boston lifted his temporary suspension of the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan offering mass buyouts to millions of federal workers, allowing the “fork in the road” program to move forward.
U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. had previously paused the administration's offer of buyouts to federal workers last week, just hours before the Thursday deadline for employees to accept it. This decision followed a lawsuit filed by labor unions representing government workers, who argued that the administration lacked the legal authority to make such an offer.
Federal judge clears path for Trump’s controversial buyout program
In his ruling on Wednesday, O'Toole determined that the unions did not have the legal standing to file the lawsuit.
"The plaintiffs are not directly affected by the directive. Instead, they claim the directive causes them indirect consequences, such as diverting resources to address members' concerns, potential membership losses, and possible damage to their reputation," he wrote.
"The unions do not have the necessary direct interest in the Fork Directive, as they are challenging a policy that impacts others, particularly executive branch employees. This is insufficient," O'Toole added.
He concluded by stating that the "temporary restraining order previously issued is DISSOLVED and further preliminary injunctive relief is DENIED."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt commended the judge's decision.
The program has sparked debate over its legality and its impact on public servants. Photo: EFE
"This ruling on the Boston Buyout is just the first in a series of legal victories for the President," she stated. "It demonstrates that legal challenges will not ultimately override the wishes of the 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his agenda."
Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), one of the unions involved in the lawsuit, called the ruling "a setback in the battle for dignity and fairness for public servants." However, he emphasized, "This is not the end of the fight. AFGE’s legal team is reviewing the decision and considering the next steps." He also pointed out that the ruling "did not address the core legality of the program."
The Office of Personnel Management sent out the mass “deferred resignation” offer to employees in a January 28 email titled “Fork in the Road”, stating that workers could resign immediately but still receive payments through September.
Legal experts have raised doubts about the legitimacy of the offer, according to NBC News. Last week, Education Department staffers were informed that the administration might cancel the plan and leave employees without compensation.
An administration official informed NBC News at the time the offer was made that 5% to 10% of the federal workforce was expected to accept, potentially saving $100 billion. By the time O'Toole froze the program, 60,000 workers had already agreed to the offer.
While the offer is open to most full-time federal employees, certain groups are excluded, including **military personnel, U.S. Postal Service workers, those in roles related to immigration enforcement and national security, and other positions as determined by agencies.