A federal judge in Massachusetts on Wednesday restored President Donald Trump’s buyouts for federal employees, delivering a setback to unions that oppose a central piece of Trump’s efforts to drastically cut the federal workforce.
U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole, in a written order, said federal employees unions who sued to stop the program lack standing to bring their challenge and that his court does not have jurisdiction to hear their complaint.
The judge lifted his pause on the buyouts that he first issued last week and denied the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction, allowing the Trump administration to move forward with the buyouts.
“The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees. This is not sufficient,” U.S. District Court Judge Georg O’Toole wrote.