A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the restoration of collective bargaining rights for 320,000 Department of Veterans Affairs workers, dealing a significant blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to limit union activities across federal agencies.
U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose made the ruling Friday in Providence, determining that the VA improperly terminated its union agreement in August as payback against the American Federation of Government Employees for opposing Trump administration labor policies.
The decision stands as one of the most important legal victories so far in multiple court challenges to Trump’s 2025 executive directive that eliminated collective bargaining rights for much of the federal workforce.
Judge DuBose sided with AFGE, which represents over 800,000 federal employees nationwide, finding that the Veterans Affairs department acted out of retaliation rather than legitimate policy concerns.
The VA had defended its actions by arguing that Trump correctly excluded the agency from union negotiations due to its national security responsibilities, specifically describing itself as “the primary backup” for military healthcare during wartime or national emergencies.
However, DuBose concluded that the VA failed to demonstrate that national security considerations actually drove the decision to terminate the union agreement, and she restored the contract while the union’s broader lawsuit continues.
“There is zero indication from the Defendants that the termination decision would have been made or implemented without the retaliatory motive,” DuBose wrote in her decision. The judge was appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden.
VA officials have not yet responded to requests for comment. The department manages an extensive system of hospitals and medical centers serving veterans and employs more than 400,000 people, ranking among the federal government’s largest agencies.
AFGE President Everett Kelley stated that the VA targeted his union for retaliation because of its resistance to budget reductions and policy changes that the organization believes would negatively impact veteran services.
“Today’s ruling holds this administration accountable and makes clear: no one can retaliate against workers for standing up for their rights,” Kelley said in a statement.
Trump’s executive directive removed collective bargaining obligations from the VA and more than a dozen additional federal departments, including Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, and Health and Human Services.
The presidential order targets agencies that Trump says “have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.” This represents a major expansion of existing limitations that previously applied only to workers with specific national security duties, such as federal law enforcement officers.
At least three separate lawsuits have been filed challenging Trump’s directive, while unions have initiated numerous additional legal actions against individual agencies that have canceled their bargaining agreements. Last month, a federal appeals court in San Francisco denied a request by AFGE and other unions to halt Trump’s order while their case moves through the courts.
