Federal Judge Orders Bureau of Prisons to Reinstate Collective Bargaining Agreement

A federal judge has ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reinstate its collective bargaining agreement with the union representing agency employees. U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver granted a preliminary injunction, requiring the BOP to restore the agreement through its May 2029 expiration date. The court found that the termination of the agreement by BOP Director William K. Marshall III in September 2025, following a presidential executive order, was likely arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. The ruling mandates the BOP to re-engage with the union while litigation continues, though it does not invalidate the executive order itself.