2/24/2025 - Oversight Agency Finds Some Firings Unlawful

Feb 24, 2025

This afternoon, the Office of Special Counsel, the agency responsible for safeguarding the federal merit system, has requested a 45-day stay in connection with the unlawful firings of six probationary employees, each at different agencies. The agencies named in the case are the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Energy and Agriculture, and the Office of Personnel Management.

In its decision on the six probationary employees, OSC found violations like those raised in NTEU’s Mass Firings lawsuit, including a violation of the government's reduction-in-force procedures.

The stay request will next go to the Merit Systems Protection Board for potential enforcement. The Board has three days to issue a decision on the stay request or the stay will go into effect.

As of now, the stay has not been extended to cover additional employees and/or agencies. However, NTEU has been in active discussions with Democracy Forward, one of the groups bringing this case, about ways that employees in NTEU-represented units can join the case. There is nothing for you to do right now. We will provide you with further instructions once we have them.

More information will be coming soon for probationary employees on this and other various ways NTEU is working to challenge their illegal terminations. If you have not yet filled out NTEU’s form gathering information from terminated NTEU members, please do so now.