Federal Worker Unions File Emergency Request to Block Trump-Vought Shutdown Layoffs

Unions that are already suing President Donald Trump's administration to protect federal workers from mass firings during the government shutdown filed an emergency request for relief from a district court after a top official announced Friday morning that reductions in force were underway.

"The RIFs have begun," Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought posted on the social media platform X.

According to the filing from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), "This corroborates credible information plaintiffs began receiving earlier this morning from multiple sources that OMB has directed federal agencies government-wide to begin issuing RIF notices today."

The unions are asking US District Judge Susan Illston, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, to issue an immediate temporary restraining order "halting OMB from ordering agencies to implement RIFs, and halting the issuance of any RIF notices by any defendant pending the court's already-scheduled October 16, 2025 hearing."

The unions had sued OMB, Vought, the Office of Personnel Management, and OPM Director Scott Kupor late last month amid threats that the Trump administration would use the then-looming government shutdown to pursue mass layoffs.

Government Executive on Friday evening reported layoffs at the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and Treasury.

After Friday's emergency filing, AFGE national president Everett Kelley said in a statement: "It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country. These workers show up every day to serve the American people, and for the past nine months have been met with nothing but cruelty and viciousness from President Trump. Every single American citizen should be outraged."

"Federal workers are tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and unelected leaders. It's time for Congress to do their jobs and negotiate an end to this shutdown immediately," he continued. "In AFGE's 93 years of existence under several presidential administrations—including during Trump's first term—no president has ever decided to fire thousands of furloughed workers during a government shutdown."

“AFGE is currently challenging President Trump's illegal, unprecedented, abuse of power, and we will not stop fighting until every reduction-in-force notice is rescinded," he pledged.

AFSCME president Lee Saunders was similarly determined, saying that "these mass firings are illegal and will have devastating effects on the services millions of Americans rely on every day. Whether it's food inspectors, public safety workers, or the countless other public service workers who keep America running, federal employees should not be bargaining chips in this administration’s political games."

"By illegally firing these workers, the administration isn't just targeting federal employees, it's hurting their families and the communities they serve every day," he added. "We will pursue every available legal avenue to stop this administration's unlawful attacks on public service workers' freedoms and jobs."

Both AFSCME and AFGE are affiliates of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler has called out the White House over the shutdown—the result of congressional Republicans refusing to reverse their devastating cuts to healthcare—and continued to do so on Friday.

" Donald Trump shut down the government, choosing to lock workers out of their jobs instead of doing his," she said. "As millions of workers miss paychecks and Americans open letters saying their healthcare costs are skyrocketing, the Trump administration is creating even more pain and chaos by moving to illegally fire thousands of federal workers today. We won't stand for this administration using hardworking Americans as pawns in a political game."

Congressional Democrats and other critics also fired back at Vought—including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who wrote on X that "Republicans would rather see thousands of Americans lose their jobs than sit down and negotiate with Democrats to reopen the government."

"Republicans own this shutdown—every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions," he added.

Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) pointed out that "nearly 700,000 of our public servants are veterans. Donald Trump is threatening to fire them as punishment for doing their jobs because he failed to do his. Behind many of these veterans are families who depend on that paycheck, families who pay their taxes, serve their communities, and make this country work."

"Trump and Vought should be ashamed of themselves," he asserted. "They don't have to do this, they want to do this."

Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) agreed with that last point.

"Once again: If President Trump and Russ Vought decide to do more mass firings, they are CHOOSING to inflict more pain on people," she wrote. "'Reductions in force' are not a new power these bozos get in a shutdown. We can't be intimidated by these crooks."

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) called Vought's post "your daily reminder that Donald Trump doesn’t give a shit about working people."

Warren Gunnels—staff director for Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—argued that "the RIF that should be going out is for Russ Vought, President Trump's authoritarian budget director, who has been illegally firing federal workers with impunity and denying funds that Congress appropriated and the president signed into law-in violation of the US Constitution."

"Hey Russell: You want to fire someone? Fire yourself for breaking the law and violating the Constitution, not hardworking veterans and other public servants who put their lives on the line defending our country each and every day," Gunnels told the OMB director. "They deserve our respect, not contempt."