The Trump administration reached a settlement with federal unions over a lawsuit challenging reductions in force (RIFs) conducted during the 2025 government shutdown. As part of the settlement, the administration rescinded its mass-layoff policy that had threatened widespread layoffs as a bargaining chip and sent RIF notices to thousands of federal employees during the lapse in appropriations.
A U.S. District Judge issued a stay barring the Trump administration from asking federal job applicants to respond to an essay question about which presidential executive orders are most significant to them. Labor unions had described the requirement as a partisan loyalty test.
President Donald Trump granted clemency to 30 people this week, including former Philadelphia union leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, whose six-year sentence was commuted, and Emory Jones, a longtime associate of rapper Jay-Z. The clemency grants also benefited drug offenders.
President Donald Trump commuted the six-year prison sentence of former Philadelphia union business manager John 'Johnny Doc' Dougherty, who was convicted of embezzlement. The commutation also releases Dougherty from $1.6 million in restitution obligations.
A coalition of unions, including the United Auto Workers and American Federation of Teachers, along with higher education groups, filed lawsuits challenging new Department of Homeland Security rules that would impose fixed time limits on foreign students, scholars, and journalists. The regulations, set to take effect September 15, would end the current 'duration of status' policy and require international students to seek extensions after four years.
Unionized workers at the Long Island Rail Road went on strike on May 16, 2026, after failing to reach a new contract agreement with the MTA, suspending service on the busiest commuter railroad in North America. New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged both sides to resume negotiations as tens of thousands of commuters face disruptions.
