April 8 (UPI) — The Trump administration does not have to reinstate some 16,000 fired federal probationary employees pending the outcome of a federal case in northern California, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
“The district court’s injunction was based solely on the allegations of the nine non-profit-organization plaintiffs in this case,” the unattributed two-page decision states. “Under established law, those allegations are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing.”
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.
Earlier, U.S. District Court for Northern California Judge William Alsup on on March 13 had ordered the Office of Personnel Management to “offer reinstatement to any and all probationary employees terminated on or about February 13” after ruling the firings were illegal.
His preliminary injunction required the reinstatement of fired probationary workers at the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury and Veterans Affairs in the case filed by the non-profit organizations.
A federal judge in Maryland issued a similar ruling, but the Supreme Court’s decision only applies to the case in Northern California.
The Trump administration appealed Alsup’s ruling, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel denied the appeal, 2-1, without addressing the merits of the case.
The Trump administration appealed the appellate court’s ruling to the Supreme Court.
The administration argued Alsup lacks the authority to order the re-hiring of the fired workers and is micromanaging the matter and the nine unions that filed the lawsuit lack standing to do so because the firings do not directly affect them.
The American Federal of Government Employees is among the plaintiffs and on Tuesday said the “battle is far from over.”
“There is no doubt that thousands of public service employees were unlawfully fired in an effort to cripple federal agencies and their crucial programs that serve millions of Americans every day,” the AFGE said in a joint prepared statement with the eight other plaintiffs.
“Today’s order by the U.S. Supreme Court is deeply disappointing but is only a momentary pause in our efforts to enforce the trial court’s orders and hold the federal government accountable,” the statement said.
“Despite the setback, our coalition remains unwavering in fighting for these workers who were wronged by the administration and in protecting the freedom of the American people,” the coalition said.
Although the Supreme Court ruling cites nine non-profits as plaintiffs, the AFGE indicates there are 14 plaintiffs.
Plaintiffs named by the AFGE include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Main Street Alliance; Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks; Common Defense Civic Engagement; WesternWatersheds Project; and AFGE Local 1216.
Other plaintiffs are VoteVets; United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals; American Public Health Association; American Geophysical Union; Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO; Climate Resilient Communities; and Point Blue Conservation Science.
