BOP Union Contract Restored, Protecting Officers' Rights
News related to:National Council of Prison Locals et al · 2 min read
On September 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver granted a preliminary injunction in National Council of Prison Locals et al. v. Federal Bureau of Prisons 3:25-cv-01907. The court set aside the BOP’s September 25, 2025, cancellation of the master agreement and ordered the agency to immediately reinstate the agreement and related local agreements for the remainder of the contract term, which runs through May 28, 2029.
The ruling is a significant victory for law enforcement officers at Thomson Federal Prison and throughout the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Jon Zumkehr, the president of AFGE Local 4070, expressed gratitude for the restoration of the union contract, which allows correctional officers to enforce safety rules, challenge unfair discipline, and have a voice on the job.
Local 4070 represents correctional officers and staff at FCI Thomson. The employees work under the same national agreement between AFGE’s Council of Prison Locals and the BOP that the agency terminated last year. Following the cancellation, the BOP stopped recognizing the union as the employees' exclusive representative, ended official time and dues deductions, and moved forward with changes to schedules, leave, and workplace conditions without following the negotiated process.
Zumkehr said the cancellation placed additional strain on employees already performing dangerous work.
The court found that the union is likely to succeed on its claim that the BOP’s termination violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The BOP’s official letter cited an executive order as the reason for terminating the agreement. That same day, the BOP director publicly stated that the "whole purpose" of ending the contract was that the union was "an obstacle to progress." The judge found those explanations inconsistent and ordered the contract restored.
Zumkehr also highlighted recent progress in Congress on officer safety and federal workers' rights. On September 16, 2026, the president signed S. 307, the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which became Public Law 119-110. The law requires the Bureau of Prisons to act on recommendations from the Office of Inspector General concerning the sexual harassment and sexual assault of BOP employees.
S. 736, the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House of Representatives. The bill is named for a BOP lieutenant who was murdered after seizing contraband, including cellphones used to coordinate the attack. It would strengthen penalties for providing cellphones in federal prisons and require the BOP to review its policies concerning prohibited objects. Local 4070 urges the House to pass the legislation.
Miller-Meeks and Sorensen voted for the Protect America's Workforce Act, a House measure intended to restore collective bargaining rights taken from federal employees. Sorensen also co-sponsored the bill.
AFGE Local 4070 will continue standing with the Council of Prison Locals, AFGE, and BOP law enforcement officers until the contract is secure and the attacks on these workers end.