In a late-night power move, former President Donald Trump fired Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) Chairwoman Susan Tsui Grundmann, prompting a lawsuit that challenges the legality of her sudden removal.

Filed Thursday in D.C. federal court, Grundmann’s suit accuses Trump and Colleen Duffy Kiko, whom he appointed as the new FLRA chair, of violating federal labor law by removing her without cause or due process.

Allegations of Unlawful Dismissal

Grundmann argues that the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute ensures the FLRA’s independence by limiting the president’s power to remove its members. According to the law, FLRA appointees can only be dismissed for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, and even then, only after notice and a hearing—none of which she received.

"The president's removal of plaintiff for no cause, much less any reasons relating to inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, without notice and a hearing, and during an unexpired term, was in flagrant violation of the plain language of the statute," Grundmann’s lawsuit states.

Appointed to the FLRA by President Joe Biden in 2022 and elevated to chair in 2023, Grundmann was supposed to serve until at least July 2024. Instead, she was dismissed via a one-sentence email at 10:46 p.m. on Monday.

A Blow to Federal Worker Protections?

The FLRA serves as the labor arbiter for federal employees, ensuring fair labor practices within the government workforce. Unlike the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which governs private-sector unions, the FLRA protects nonpostal federal workers.

Since its creation in 1979, Congress has sought to keep the three-member agency bipartisan, preventing any one party from gaining full control. Grundmann’s lawsuit claims that by abruptly firing her, Trump undermined the agency’s impartiality and put its functionality at risk.

Without Grundmann, the remaining two-member board could deadlock on key labor disputes, leaving critical issues unresolved for federal workers nationwide.

A Pattern of High-Profile Firings

Grundmann isn’t the only official Trump has removed in a dramatic post-election shake-up.

In late January, Trump fired two Democratic members of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—Chair Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels—along with EEOC General Counsel Karla Gilbride. Around the same time, he also terminated NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and Democratic board member Gwynne Wilcox.

Norman L. Eisen, one of Grundmann’s attorneys, called Trump’s actions a direct threat to federal labor protections.

"This is not just an attack on Ms. Grundmann," Eisen stated. "This is a frontal assault on every federal worker who relies on the FLRA to fairly adjudicate labor and management issues. They count on her and the authority to be able to do their job efficiently and effectively."

Legal Battle Ahead

Grundmann’s lawsuit seeks a court order reinstating her as FLRA chair, arguing that her removal has caused “irreparable harm” by leaving federal labor disputes unresolved.

She is represented by Jon M. Greenbaum of Justice Legal Strategies PLLC, alongside Eisen, Tianna J. Mays, and Pooja Chaudhuri of the State Democracy Defenders Fund.

The White House has not commented on the lawsuit, and counsel for the Trump administration was not immediately available.

With legal and political tensions escalating, Grundmann’s case could set a precedent for how far a president’s power extends when it comes to removing independent agency officials.