10/16/2026
THOMSON , IL, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver today issued a memorandum and order in National Council of Prison Locals, et al. v. Federal Bureau of Prisons, et al. (Case No. 3:25-cv-01907-VDO).
The court denied a request for a contempt finding but granted the motion to enforce its September 29, 2026, preliminary injunction. The court declared the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ October 7, 2026, re-termination of the collective bargaining agreement void.
The agreement, which covers approximately 30,000 BOP employees—including law enforcement officers and staff at FCI Thomson—will remain in full effect through May 28, 2029, unless the court grants a properly filed motion to dissolve or clarify the injunction.
The ruling is a clear victory for the rule of law and for the dedicated correctional officers at FCI Thomson, who perform one of the most demanding jobs in law enforcement.
Despite the court’s orders and the BOP’s earlier statements that it would comply, union officials at FCI Thomson remain locked out of their office and unable to access systems such as the staff roster program. Local management also continues to treat the collective bargaining agreement as though it were not in effect.
National announcements of compliance are not a substitute for action at the institutional level. The rights, procedures, and protections restored by the court must be fully implemented at FCI Thomson.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.-17) issued the following joint statement on October 9, 2026:
“Our unions help protect the workers and law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe, ensuring they have a voice on the job. These 30,000 Bureau of Prisons employees deserve fair wages, safe working conditions and the right to collectively bargain for both. A federal judge has made clear that this agreement must be reinstated, and the Trump Administration cannot simply ignore a court order because it doesn’t like the outcome. This Administration must follow the law and honor its obligations to these workers.”
"The workers at FCI Thomson negotiated in good faith for their union contract, and the Trump administration's refusal to honor both that and a federal court order reinforcing it is deeply concerning and disrespectful.
I'm proud to join Senator Duckworth and AFGE Local 4070 in advocating for these brave men and women and the safety and certainty they deserve".
Jon Zumkehr, president of AFGE Local 4070, which represents officers and staff at FCI Thomson, issued the following statement:
“Today’s ruling is a win for the law enforcement officers at Thomson and for the rule of law. Correctional officers have an incredibly difficult job. They face a su***de risk seven times higher than the general population and die by su***de at higher rates than police officers—yet some people still want to attack these workers and strip away their contract.
“We will continue fighting until the protections our members negotiated—and that the court ordered reinstated—are fully implemented at FCI Thomson.”
