CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has terminated its collective bargaining agreement with the Council of Prison Locals, a move the Trump administration says will improve working conditions but which union leaders denounce as an attack on employee rights.
Bureau Director William K. Marshall III announced Thursday that the contract with CPL-33, which represents correctional staff nationwide, ended effective immediately. He said the agreement had become a roadblock to needed reforms.
“For too long, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been ranked among the worst places to work in the federal government. That’s unacceptable and that demands change,” Marshall said in a statement. “The whole purpose of ending this contract is to make your lives better. Period.”
Marshall emphasized that employees’ pay, benefits, civil service protections, and job security remain intact under federal law. He credited President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pamela Bondi with supporting the move, which he said would allow the bureau to act quickly on policies designed to improve safety and morale.
But the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prison Locals, which represents more than 30,000 federal correctional workers, blasted the decision as a reckless attack on workers’ rights.
“This is not just an attack on our union — it is an attack on every federal employee who serves this country with dedication and sacrifice,” said Brandy Moore White, president of the council. “The Collective Bargaining Agreement is the foundation that ensures fair treatment, workplace protections, and a voice for our staff. Removing it undermines the very principles of fairness and democracy in the workplace.”
Union leaders warned that without the CBA, employees lose essential tools to challenge unsafe conditions, forced overtime and chronic staffing shortages. They vowed to fight the decision in court and in Congress. “Don’t be fooled, this is not about efficiency or accountability — this is about silencing our voice,” Moore White said.
The contract’s termination follows a series of executive orders signed by Trump earlier this year that exclude agencies with “national security missions” from collective bargaining rights under federal law. The orders have triggered nationwide litigation, with some federal judges issuing injunctions to block the measures, while others have upheld them pending appeals.
Labor groups argue the orders are unconstitutional and strip more than a million federal employees of long-standing protections. The administration counters that the changes are necessary to improve efficiency and safety in sensitive agencies, including the Bureau of Prisons.
The clash leaves the future of union representation for correctional officers uncertain as the courts weigh the legality of Trump’s orders and lawmakers debate legislation that would overturn them. In the meantime, Marshall pledged to push ahead with reforms.
“We will move forward with solutions that work, without roadblocks, without excuses and with one goal: to make the Bureau a place where people are proud to serve,” he said.