Federal Judge Orders Bureau of Prisons to Reinstated Union Contract
Judge forces BOP to restore union contract, citing legal violations. Details on the dispute and future implications.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A federal judge has mandated that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) reinstate a collective bargaining agreement with its union after the agency’s director terminated it, claiming the union was an obstacle to progress.
The decision came from U.S. District Court Judge Vernon Oliver in Connecticut, who granted a preliminary injunction requested by the National Council of Prison Locals (CPL). The move follows Director William Marshall’s abrupt termination of the agreement on September 25, 2025.
The Trump administration has been targeting federal unions, including through an executive order in March 2025 that barred national security and intelligence agencies from engaging in collective bargaining. Despite this, the BOP maintained the agreement for six months. The union represents around 30,000 employees working in federal prisons nationwide.
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Oliver noted that Marshall’s reasoning for ending the contract did not align with national security concerns. He emphasized that the court was not evaluating the validity of the executive order but rather whether the BOP violated the Administrative Procedure Act by terminating the agreement.
The judge ruled that the union had met the standard required to prove its case was likely to succeed. He ordered the BOP to immediately reinstate the agreement for the remaining term, which runs through May 2029.
CPL-33 President Brandy White praised the ruling but warned that the Justice Department may seek a stay. She said more details would be available the following day, adding that the battle is far from over.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
