Cpl-33 Local 709 Englewood

02/28/2026

WEEKLY UODATE FROM CPL-33 PRESIDENT

I hope this correspondence finds you well!

AFGE decision - Yesterday a decision was rendered regarding AFGE's Preliminary Injunction. The decision was not favorable to reinstate the PI that was initially issued, but this does not affect their case moving forward. The merits of the case will still be heard. There was a huge win from the loss yesterday though. The court stated the jurisdiction was appropriate in their venue, which is something everyone was worried would be an issue. So.…on to the merits of their case.

CPL's filings - As you are aware, CPL filed a case independent of AFGE. Yesterday's rulling on AFGE's case did not affect our filings. We are still set for a Preliminary Injunction hearing April 20th, and again, even if we are unsuccessful in our PI (which we have discussed is hard to win) we will still also have the merits of the case.

While the AFGE PI decision was a blow it does not change anything! We pretty much have three bites at the apple still, the merits of AFGE's case on the EO itself, CPL's PI request (only a temporary fix until the merits of the case are heard) as well as CPL's merits of the case! We might have lost a fight, but we have not lost the war! We are fighter's and will continue in our fight.

This does not change our plans or course of action! We will continue on the exact same path we have been on! There have been some good decisions from TSA and NTEU! So do not give up hope!

Pay Bill - We currently have 43 co-sponsors on the pay bill. Keep making the calls and sending the emails. Let's keep the momentum going!

Let's keep our eye on the end goal and continue to do what we have always done, and that is fight for what is right and fight for our members to be treated fairly!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Brandy Moore-White
National President
Council of Prison Locals 33

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union representing 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas.

02/28/2026

WEEKLY UPDATE FROM CPL-33 PRESIDENT

I hope this correspondence finds you well!

AFGE decision - Yesterday a decision was rendered regarding AFGE's Preliminary Injunction. The decision was not favorable to reinstate the PI that was initially issued, but this does not affect their case moving forward. The merits of the case will still be heard. There was a huge win from the loss yesterday though. The court stated the jurisdiction was appropriate in their venue, which is something everyone was worried would be an issue. So.…on to the merits of their case.

CPL's filings - As you are aware, CPL filed a case independent of AFGE. Yesterday's rulling on AFGE's case did not affect our filings. We are still set for a Preliminary Injunction hearing April 20th, and again, even if we are unsuccessful in our PI (which we have discussed is hard to win) we will still also have the merits of the case.

While the AFGE PI decision was a blow it does not change anything! We pretty much have three bites at the apple still, the merits of AFGE's case on the EO itself, CPL's PI request (only a temporary fix until the merits of the case are heard) as well as CPL's merits of the case! We might have lost a fight, but we have not lost the war! We are fighter's and will continue in our fight.

This does not change our plans or course of action! We will continue on the exact same path we have been on! There have been some good decisions from TSA and NTEU! So do not give up hope!

Pay Bill - We currently have 43 co-sponsors on the pay bill. Keep making the calls and sending the emails. Let's keep the momentum going!

Let's keep our eye on the end goal and continue to do what we have always done, and that is fight for what is right and fight for our members to be treated fairly!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Brandy Moore-White
National President
Council of Prison Locals 33

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union representing 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas.

02/21/2026

Weekly update from CPL-33 President Brandy Moore White

From CPL-33,

I hope this update finds you well.

Pay Bill - Our pay bill for a 35% increase is still gaining momentum! Please continue making the calls and sending the emails. We need our congressional leaders to understand the staffing crisis we are in and how the pay is affecting that criss.

Additionally, I have seen that there is a survey going around about convincing the director that a pay increase is needed. I would discourage people from taking part in this survey as most of what is in there or being proposed is not legal. The Director cannot change pay or benefits...only Congress can.

When coming into this position staffing/pay was top on my priority list to address. I feel like this is one of BOP's biggest issues. We (the union) could continue to ask for increased funding, but if we (the agency) does not have staff coming in the door or leaving as soon as they did not have to repay their recruitment incentive, something else had to be done. So I formed a committee, and we have looked at NUMEROUS ways to address the pay with A LOT of bumps and redirections along the way. As such, the legislation introduced is one of only a couple of ways pay can be adjusted legally.

FCI Memphis - The agency made the decision to realign FCI Memphis from the Mid-Atlantic Region to the South Central Region. With that being said, the Council will realign their assignment to the South Central Region as well in order for consistency with how issues are handled by the council.

FERS annuity supplements - Information has been put out about OPM recalculating supplements for individuals whose supplements were incorrectly divided with former spouses and calculations for back pay from those incorrect calculations. If you have a member who is affected or has questions they should reach out to OPM directly at 202-606-0222.

Lawsuit(s) -

AFGE had a status conference on their Preliminary Injunction on January 12th and are currently awaiting a decision from that. Which I am told could take up to a couple of months. Keep in mind, even if the PI is not granted they still have the merits of the case to argue.

CPLs suit is similar in nature. We filed for a PI right before the holidays, so the judge gave the agency until the middle of February to respond, and us until Feb 27th for the rebuttal. The hearing for the PI was scheduled for the middle of March.

However, the DOJ filed several exceptions last Friday. The legal team has reviewed and is assessing the best avenue of approach, but in the meantime the Judge issued an extension of the hearing for the PI until April 20th. While this is not ideal, as we all know everyone in the field is feeling the effects of not having a contract, this is just an extension...not a ruling against or a cancellation of any kind. Also, keep in mind even if we are unsuccessful in winning the PI, we still have the merits of the case to be heard.

There is no sugarcoating of this situation. This is the hardest thing we as unionists have ever had to face! It is absolutely heartbreaking in the field to see the things that are happening with little recourse available for those of us who have always been able to assist and protect our members. But this is the war in which we have been preparing for! This is the reason we have resources for lawsuits, preliminary injunctions and even lobbyists! We have to keep our membership informed, we have to continue to address the issues and concerns we can, and we have to continue to document EVERYTHING!

01/16/2026

Please contact your reps and senators and ask them to support this legislation. Thank you!

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/congress/2026/01/bipartisan-lawmakers-propose-35-federal-pay-raise-for-bureau-of-prisons-officers/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPWoShleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeR6sCfxnnPOqksrphVWB2ruLTKGnL64GfaEOq42V0clqYMEdSaYRQ36Axpds_aem_Oxs11RhdExlvkPYWvR4iVg

New legislation to give BOP correctional officers a 35% federal pay raise attempts to address longstanding staffing shortages across the agency.

12/24/2025

We want to provide an important update on the lawsuits aimed at restoring our contract and defending our collective bargaining rights. As you may have heard, the core claim driving these cases is the administration’s assertion that our roles fall under “national security.” This is simply not rooted in fact. Nowhere in our job description as federal correctional officers does “national security” appear. It’s clear to us—and should be clear to the public—that this is a direct attack on law enforcement professionals working in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Background:
On March 27, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights for roughly two-thirds of federal employees, citing vague national security concerns. Just before releasing this order. These moves were designed to gut union representation and silence federal workers, especially those of us whose everyday jobs have nothing to do with actual national security threats.

Legal Developments:

Ninth Circuit Update: On November 4, 2025, the Ninth Circuit withdrew the call for an en banc rehearing on the national security lawsuit. Oral arguments on the district court’s preliminary injunction are set for January 12, 2026.

Bureau of Prisons Contract Termination: On September 25, 2025, Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall terminated our collective bargaining agreement, stripping more than 30,000 workers of workplace rights and basic protections. He relied on Trump’s Executive Order 14251, which falsely claims national security concerns—even though he later admitted the termination was really about pushing through changes the union opposed. On November 13, Council of Prison Locals (CPL-33) filed suit, arguing these terminations violate the law and our First Amendment rights. The Bureau (BOP/DOJ) has until January 12, 2026, to respond to the request for a preliminary injunction.

NTEU Lawsuit: Federal appeals court judges are currently examining the limits of presidential authority to declare which agencies count as “national security” and use that label to roll back federal workplace rights. Oral arguments for the NTEU case were heard on December 15, 2025.

Summary of Key Dates:

AFGE lawsuit oral arguments: January 12, 2026
NTEU lawsuit oral arguments: December 15, 2025
CPL lawsuit—BOP/DOJ response to injunction: due January 12, 2026

Thanks Jon Zumkehr for putting this info together.

11/22/2025

Update after the Deputy Directors latest video with more unfounded union bashing and promises of “fixes” we’ll never see. Just trust them, they have a “plan”. Sound familiar?

Brothers and Sisters,

Many of you have seen the video message released by the agency. I want to address it directly and make sure you have facts — not spin, not politics, and not half-truths.

Here’s the bottom line:
The video was designed to create a narrative that the union was the problem, and that eliminating the Master Agreement somehow “fixed” it. That is simply not true.

Official Time Facts
The video claims that union officials used “250,000 hours of official time” as if it was some kind of abuse. What they didn’t tell you is:

Every single hour was approved by management.
This time was used to represent bargaining-unit employees — including the same people hearing that message today.
Official time exists because it prevents grievances, unfair labor practices, lawsuits, and unsafe conditions from going unchecked.
Not to mention the number of hours they are mentioning equates to 7.1 hours per employee per year.

Reducing representation doesn’t save time — it creates more problems that cost far more down the road.

Master Agreement “Savings”
They also claimed that terminating the Master Agreement will save “millions.” No mention was made of the real costs that come when a contract is removed:

No clear processes
More disputes
More grievances
Less consistency
More confusion at every institution

The Master Agreement was not a burden. It protected your rights, your safety, and your working conditions. The only people who benefit from eliminating it are those who want less accountability and fewer checks on their decisions.

Promised Incentive Checks
The video dangled one-time incentive checks for FY 2026. Understand this clearly:

These payments are not guaranteed. No concrete examples were given of how to even earn them.
They depend on budgets that do not currently exist.
Frontline staff deserve real relief now — not promises two years out tied to an election cycle.

“A Loud Few”
The video suggested that the union was just “a handful of loud voices.” Let’s be very clear:

You elected your representatives.
You brought your issues forward.
We demanded safer posts, better staffing, fair scheduling, transparent policies, and respect and will continue to do so even if that may look a little different right now.

The union didn’t invent problems — we responded to the problems you reported.

Where We Stand
Despite the tone of the video, your union isn’t going anywhere.
We continue representing every bargaining-unit employee under federal law.
We will keep fighting for:

safer working conditions
responsible staffing levels
increased pay
fair and consistent policies
protection from retaliation
transparency and accountability

We are not intimidated, and we are not backing down.

What Comes Next
You will continue to hear strong messaging from the agency. Some will be polished, emotional, and carefully crafted, I'm sure. Our job is to cut through the noise and keep you informed.

Every member deserves the truth!

-Council of Prison Localst

11/13/2025

The bill reopening the government has passed and will/has been signed tonight. NFC sent an email to staff late this afternoon laying out how/when pay will be processed for staff. Pay will start being keyed tomorrow and it is expected that all missing pay will be issued by next Wednesday the 19th. Each pay period will be entered individually but staff should expect to see all missing pay in one single deposit.

10/24/2025

Quick update, we are still waiting on the District courts decision regarding the injunction and reinstatement of the Contract, originally a decision was made expected the 20th but the courts have been slowed by the shutdown as well.

Below is a resource map/article to find local help during the shutdown.

ShareTweetSharePin0 Shares

10/14/2025

10/03/2025

🗑️ 🗑️ 🗑️

09/30/2025

You can take illegal actions and remove us from our office, but you can’t erase almost 85 years of labor history. Local 709 is not gone.