A federal judge should not be able to restore a prison union contract after the president ends collective bargaining rights

Federal and state court systems of the United States, judicial appointments, constitutional interpretation and the rulings that decide policy when the other branches deadlock. Life tenure for federal judges makes each confirmation a durable political stake rather than a procedural step.

Federal Judge Vernon D. Oliver’s September 29, 2026, preliminary injunction ordered the Bureau of Prisons to restore its collective-bargaining agreement with the Council of Prison Locals, which the agency had terminated. The injunction restores local agreements through the contract’s May 28, 2029, expiration.