David Akachukwu
Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us
On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump does not have the authority to remove a Democratic member from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), ordering that Susan Tsui Grundmann be reinstated.
The decision by US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan in Washington, DC, is seen as a setback to Trump’s efforts to bring independent agencies like the FLRA under his control and potentially reduce the federal workforce.
The judge’s ruling, which reinstates Grundmann, ensures that the FLRA will maintain a 2-1 Democratic majority until her term ends in July.
The FLRA, established by Congress to operate independently from the White House, has the authority to direct federal agencies to negotiate with unions and, in certain cases, prevent agencies from firing unionized workers.
Judge Sooknanan stated that Trump’s action undermined Congress’ intent to keep the FLRA free from political interference.
“The independence of the FLRA was central to its creation, as Congress wanted to ensure a fair, consistent, and unbiased process for managing federal labor relations that would not shift with political whims,” Sooknanan said.
Neither the White House nor Grundmann’s lawyers have commented on the ruling.
It’s worth noting that many federal employees have been dismissed since Trump took office as part of a broad cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk, a key White House adviser.
Nearly 30% of federal workers are represented by unions, which typically provide them with stronger legal protections than other government employees.
Court records show that Trump removed Grundmann, a Biden appointee, on February 11, without providing an explanation for the dismissal.
In her lawsuit, Grundmann claimed that Trump violated a federal labor relations law that stipulates that FLRA members can only be removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office.
At a hearing last week, a Department of Justice lawyer did not deny that Trump had violated the law but argued that the restrictions on removing FLRA members were unconstitutional.
Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it.
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.
