Bureau of Prisons Ordered to Restore Union Contract

Quick answer: On September 29, 2026, US District Judge Vernon Oliver in Connecticut granted a preliminary injunction ordering the Federal Bureau of Prisons to immediately reinstate its collective bargaining agreement with the Council of Prison Locals, which represents about 30,000 prison workers. The contract runs through May 2029, but the ruling is not final and a stay request is expected.

Key Takeaways

A federal judge in Connecticut ordered the Bureau of Prisons to immediately reinstate its union contract on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
The agreement covers roughly 30,000 federal prison employees represented by the AFGE Council of Prison Locals 33.
The judge found the union was likely to win its claim that ending the contract violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
The ruling does not decide whether President Trump's March 2025 executive order limiting federal unions is lawful.
The union expects the Justice Department to seek a stay, and the lawsuit will continue.

Federal prison employees have won back their union contract, at least for now. On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, US District Judge Vernon Oliver of the District of Connecticut ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to immediately reinstate the collective bargaining agreement it had cancelled a year earlier, a decision that affects roughly 30,000 civil servants who work in federal prisons across the country.

The preliminary injunction was requested by the Council of Prison Locals 33, part of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). The judge ruled that the contract must be honored for the rest of its agreed term, which runs through May 2029.

What did the judge decide?

Oliver concluded that the union had shown it was likely to succeed on its central argument: that the bureau's decision to cancel the agreement broke the Administrative Procedure Act, the federal law that requires agencies to give a reasoned explanation for their actions. He ordered the defendants to restore the contract right away and to be bound by its terms.

The judge was careful to limit the scope of the case. He wrote that the dispute "does not concern the validity of EO-14,251," the executive order on federal unions, noting that challenges to that order are being fought in other courts. The question in front of him was narrower: whether the way the BOP ended this particular contract was lawful.

Why did the Bureau of Prisons cancel the contract?

BOP Director William Marshall ended the agreement on September 25, 2025. In a message posted on the bureau's website, he described the union as an obstacle to progress, said it was not the kind of union he supported and argued that the contract had often slowed or blocked changes. The bureau claimed the union had slowed or prevented changes that would make prison staff safer.

According to the judge's order, those comments suggested the contract was ended for reasons other than national security. That matters because the legal basis the administration has relied on to remove bargaining rights is national security.

The executive order behind the dispute

In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that used a rarely invoked provision of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act to remove collective bargaining rights from agencies involved in national security or intelligence work, a group covering about two-thirds of the federal workforce, according to Government Executive. The order extends to the Justice Department, which oversees the BOP. A follow-up order in August 2025 added roughly half a dozen more agencies.

After a federal appeals court paused a broad injunction against the order in August 2025, many agencies moved quickly to cancel their contracts. The BOP did not. It kept holding local labor-management meetings and continued telling employees about their right to union representation in disciplinary interviews for about seven more weeks before ending the agreement.

What was the union's legal argument?

The union sued in November 2025. Rather than attacking the executive order itself, it pointed to August 2025 guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, which said agencies "may choose" to terminate union contracts. The union argued that this made cancellation a discretionary decision, so the BOP had to explain why it was acting and why it waited six months after the order. According to Government Executive, the lawsuit said the bureau gave no such explanation.

The complaint also claimed the move infringed on union members' First Amendment rights. Union advocates have argued that prison staff face greater risks to their personal safety without a contract in place.

How are union leaders reacting?

Brandy White, president of the Council of Prison Locals 33, welcomed the ruling in a message to members but warned that the Justice Department was likely to ask for a stay. "This is an important step, but our fight is not over," she wrote.

At FCI Thomson, AFGE Local 4070 President Jon Zumkehr said the restored agreement gives officers a way to push for safety standards, contest discipline they see as unfair and be heard at work, and called the decision a win for law enforcement officers throughout the bureau. When the contract was cancelled last year, workers kept their jobs, pay and benefits, but lost the protections the agreement provided.

What happens next?

A preliminary injunction is not a final judgment. The lawsuit will continue, and the union expects the Justice Department to request a stay that could put the order on hold. CBS News reported that it had asked the Bureau of Prisons for comment. The most recent contract between the bureau and the union was signed in November 2024 and runs until May 28, 2029.

What this means for federal workers

If you work for the BOP: the 2024 contract is back in force for now, including provisions such as union representation in disciplinary meetings. Check with your local union for guidance on how it is being applied at your facility, and watch for any stay request that could pause the order.
If you work at another federal agency: this ruling covers only the BOP contract. It does not strike down the executive order, and challenges to that order are still moving through other courts.
If you are applying for federal prison jobs: working conditions, discipline procedures and labor-management rules at the bureau may depend on how this case is ultimately resolved, so it is worth following as you weigh an offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the Bureau of Prisons union contract restored?

Judge Vernon Oliver found the union was likely to prove that the bureau violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it ended the contract. He issued a preliminary injunction ordering the BOP to reinstate the agreement immediately.

How many workers does the Bureau of Prisons union represent?

The Council of Prison Locals 33, part of AFGE, represents about 30,000 civil servants who work in federal prisons across the United States.

Does the ruling overturn Trump's executive order on federal unions?

No. The judge wrote that the case does not concern the validity of Executive Order 14251. Challenges to that order are being litigated separately in other courts.

When does the BOP union contract expire?

The revised agreement was signed in November 2024 and runs through May 28, 2029. The court ordered it reinstated for the rest of that term.

Is the Bureau of Prisons union ruling final?

No. The ruling is a preliminary injunction, not a final judgment, and the lawsuit will continue. The union's president said the Justice Department is likely to ask for a stay of the order.

Sources

This article was compiled by Jobsiz from the sources listed above, with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. Published September 30, 2026. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.

Judge Orders Bureau of Prisons to Restore Union Contract