Federal workers turn to little-known 'merit board' as they try to avoid Trump's mass layoffs
Source: CNN Politics
Updated 12:12 PM EST, Fri February 28, 2025
CNN — Federal workers are rushing to a little-known and understaffed office to try to save their jobs from President Donald Trump’s mass government layoffs, in hopes that it will be a bulwark against the president and Elon Musk as they push for more cuts. The Merit Systems Protection Board, or MSPB, is facing an avalanche of new cases as the Trump administration plows ahead with its efforts to significantly reduce the ranks of the federal government.
The board is also grappling with what one judge recently described as a “nakedly illegal” attempt by Trump to prematurely remove the chairwoman of the independent agency.
The Biden-appointed chairwoman will be back in court Monday for another hearing on how long she can stay in the role, as the Trump administration continues to try to push her out. One of the other members retired Friday, meaning Trump could hobble the board if he prevails in firing the chairwoman, by depriving it of the quorum it needs to issue final decisions.
The obscure board – barely known outside of government – is set to become the next major battleground for Trump and the federal workers he’s trying to fire. Its increasingly important role became clear after some judges recently turned away lawsuits about the cuts, telling employees and their unions that they need to go to MSPB first to review firings.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/28/politics/federal-workers-merit-board-doge/index.html
I have posted a couple times about this - i.e., the Merit System Protection Board which is an alternate option to using the EEOC (if discrimination is alleged) or the Union (if the firing may have been associated with a grievance, etc).
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3394485
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3396051