Labor unions in the United States are taking legal action against President Donald Trump as a coalition of more than two dozen labor unions, cities and nonprofits sued the Trump administration, claiming that its broad federal workforce cuts were an “illegal” power grab.
The complaint filed on Monday in San Francisco federal court said the “large-scale reductions in force” that Trump ordered federal agency chiefs to implement on Feb. 11 lacked Congressional approval, and violated the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers.
Labor unions are organizations that represent workers in negotiations with employers over wages, benefits, working conditions, and rights. They emerged in the 19th century during industrialization and gained strength through landmark legislation like the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.
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“When the President takes for himself the legislative power of Congress to recreate federal agencies in the manner he sees fit,” the complaint said, “he threatens the very constitutional foundation of this nation.”
While union membership has declined in recent decades—now around 10% of the workforce—unions remain influential in sectors like education, healthcare, and public service. Recently, there’s been renewed interest in unionizing among tech, retail, and gig workers, reflecting growing concerns over job security, income inequality, and workplace protections.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday: “This department has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the order to implement the Workforce Optimization Initiative, and will continue to do so.” The Justice Department is reportedly one of the defendants in the case.
Local government plaintiffs include Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco, and. Nonprofits that sued include the Alliance for Retired Americans with 4.4 million members and the Center for Taxpayer Rights.
Several local governments from the cities of Baltimore, Chicago, and San Francisco are part of the lawsuit as well as counties in Houston and Seattle.