08/05/2026
Judge Rejects Trump Administration’s Last-Minute Request for More Time in Labor Lawsuit
A federal judge in Washington state has rejected a request from the Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking additional time to respond in a major lawsuit involving federal employees’ union rights and collective bargaining agreements.
The case, United Power Trades Organization v. Trump, centers on a legal challenge brought by the union representing workers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The union is attempting to block the government’s move to end its collective bargaining agreement after an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March 2025 removed the union’s formal representative status.
The controversy began when the DOJ requested a two-week extension to file its response to the union’s request for a preliminary injunction. The government asked for extra time until August 18, 2026, but the request was submitted on the same day the response deadline expired — and only minutes before the court’s business day ended.
U.S. District Judge Lauren J. King denied the request, stating that the government failed to show sufficient reason for the late filing and did not follow local court rules. The judge emphasized that parties must request deadline extensions early enough for the court to review them before the deadline passes.
The DOJ later submitted a new, expanded request explaining that the delay happened because the motion filed by the union was received by the U.S. Attorney’s Office but was not properly delivered to the attorneys handling the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Strong said he discovered the missed filing on August 4 after finding a scanned copy of the motion on a shared file system. He stated that because of the timing, it was “impossible to file a timely response” by the original deadline.
The DOJ apologized for the mistake, admitting that the office was responsible for tracking properly served documents and responding on time. The government also noted that the opposing side did not object to the extension request.
The court’s decision does not end the lawsuit, but it creates another legal setback for the administration as the battle over federal workers’ union protections continues.
