National Association of Agriculture Employees v. Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Customs and Border Protection, Intervenor

**Union Challenge Over Worker Classifications Dismissed by Court** This case involved a dispute between the National Association of Agriculture Employees union and federal agencies over how certain Customs and Border Protection workers should be classified. The union disagreed with a decision made by the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) about whether specific employees should be considered "professional" workers, which affects how they can organize and bargain collectively. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the union's challenge entirely. The court ruled it didn't have the authority to review this type of decision because federal law specifically prevents courts from examining how the FLRA determines appropriate bargaining units for federal workers. The court found that deciding whether workers are "professional" is part of determining bargaining units, which is off-limits to judicial review. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling reinforces that federal employee unions have limited options when they disagree with how the FLRA classifies workers or sets up bargaining units. Federal workers cannot rely on federal courts to overturn these administrative decisions, even when unions believe the classifications are wrong. This makes the initial FLRA process even more crucial for federal employees seeking union representation, as there may be no appeal option available.