Two federal employee unions sued the Department of War on Thursday over its decision to terminate collective bargaining agreements covering most of the agency's civilian workforce, arguing the move violates federal law.
The American Federation of Government Employees and the National Federation of Federal Employees filed the lawsuit in federal court Thursday, challenging an April directive from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordering the cancellation of nearly all collective bargaining agreements at the Pentagon.
The unions argue the department acted unlawfully by ending the agreements and failed to adequately justify its decision. They are asking the court to block the policy and restore the agreements.
According to the complaint, Hegseth directed War Department leaders on April 9 to terminate most collective bargaining agreements within 24 hours.
The order followed President Donald Trump's executive order exempting agencies with national security missions from federal collective bargaining requirements.
The unions assert that the Department of War had continued operating under its labor agreements for about a year after Trump's executive order was issued before abruptly reversing course this spring.
In the lawsuit, the unions argue the department did not provide sufficient explanation for the policy change and exceeded its legal authority in terminating the agreements.
The complaint asks the court to set aside Hegseth's memorandum, arguing the department's actions were "arbitrary and capricious" under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The Trump administration has argued that limiting collective bargaining at agencies with national security responsibilities will improve the government's ability to carry out its mission. The executive order has prompted several agencies to move to end or scale back union agreements affecting hundreds of thousands of federal employees.
The Department of War is the federal government's largest employer, with roughly 950,000 civilian workers worldwide. The unions have said ending collective bargaining agreements would affect employees across a wide range of defense agencies and installations.
The lawsuit marks the latest legal challenge to the administration's efforts to reduce the role of federal employee unions. Other unions have filed similar lawsuits contesting executive actions that limit collective bargaining rights at agencies with national security functions.
A spokesperson for the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where the unions are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent the Pentagon from enforcing the policy while the litigation proceeds.