The second Trump administration, in large part, was distinguished by a focused effort to reduce the number of federal employees.
Through the Personnel Management Office and Eileon Musk, the president used, the president used Very unusual resignation offers and Demobilization To reduce the workforce via agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Old Warriors Affairs. There is no official number about the number of people who were demobilized, but 62,530 government jobs Cut To date this year, according to the data published earlier this month from Global Outplace Challenger, Gray and Christmas. There is likely to have more cuts.
The unions played a major role in the legal challenges that occur in the launch of federal federal workers. On Thursday, two separate marriages decreased to the Trump administration order to return these respected employees. one to rule In response to 20 Democratic lawyers, they called for the re -workers from a federal judge in Maryland. The other was Release By a judge in the American boycott court of the Northern California region in response to a case filed by dozens of trade unions and invitation groups. The provincial judge in the United States, William Alsup, ordered the return of six federal agencies thousands of tests that were separated under the supervision of OPM, a step declared illegal. Trump’s administration has Already Call in this case.
The American State Federation, AFSCME) was one of the prosecutors in this second challenge. The Federation represents 1.4 million public service workers throughout the country in the federal and state government and the local government, as well as the non -profit sector. AFSCME president, Lee Sonders, spoke, spoke luck About the threat to public sector workers, what its members feel, and how the union plans to respond.
This interview has been edited and intensified for clarity.
Wealth: What do AFSCME members feel now?
President Sonders: They feel the attack. They believe in the importance of public services, yet they see them being attacked every day by this current administration.
They are afraid, but they also know that they have to hear their voices and they must fight, and this is exactly what they do. Their union supports them 100 % by talking about the importance of public service, and challenging some of the things that this administration does, and Whether it is in the courtsOr if it is in the media, or whether it is In the streets. We will continue to do this to make our point of view and clarify our point of view.
AFSCME is one of the plaintiffs in issue Who was just governing in favor of returning federal workers under observation. Many see this as a victory for federal workers, but this ruling is notFFCT This deadline for this week set by the Trump administration that requires all agencies to send the president and OPM plans for more workers’ layoffs. How can the future look for these workers?
This is a great victory for these workers.
This will be stabbed, but we will continue to put the full force of the union behind the submission of these types of lawsuits. This is really important, but we also have to go through a crime and not to play defense all the time, and we will continue to do so. What we are doing now is to organize, mobilize and educate our members throughout the country by making phone calls, by going to the city hall meetings.
One of the things we have to do is to continue to organize. Seventy percent Americans believe that unions are very necessary in this country and 88 % For young people (looking at them positively). We will spend the resources, we will talk to the workers, we ask them to represent us or other unions so that they have a seat on the table.
It seems like every day there is a new development related to the demobilization of workers. How do you advise people to track the whirlwind of procedures?
I think it is up to AFSCME, the labor movement, our allies and our friends to continue to talk about what this administration is trying to do to harm workers. We have to recruit people within the labor movement and outside the labor movement to make their voices heard. We can not only sit idly and silent when this destruction occurs – this is exactly what it is – at the federal level, (which will happen) to the state level and local level, with huge possible discounts in federal programs. State governments depend on federal funds to finance programs at the state level; They get 33 % From (revenues) from the federal government. This helps to provide public services in the state, the city and the local level.
The whole thing is about continuing education. The whole matter is related to the demand of (workers) to not silence, but to make their voices hear and fight as it did not happen before.
(When asked to comment, he told a White House spokesman luck: “President Trump returned to Washington with a mandate from the American people to make an unprecedented change in our federal government to uproot waste, fraud and ill -treatment.”
Elon Musk Recycled A tweet indicates that public sector workers were responsible for mass murders under people such as Hitler, Mao and Stalin. What do you make this comment and attacks on public sector workers in general?
I will try to control my language, but … it is a hateful comment for him (re -tweet) and compares public sector workers and our members, saying that “Hitler and Stalin and what they did not kill millions, but () public sector service workers.” Now just think about it. This is where it comes from, and we must take this message.
He has no idea what workers face every day. He does not have the slightest idea of what they do to improve the lives of our citizens in our societies throughout the country and to improve public services, yet he makes a statement like this. I mean, it is incredible, and we have to make sure that people understand that this is what he says, and this is what people think in this administration.
((luck I got to Elon Musk but did not get a response.)
How can unions protect workers if the government wants to expel them?
We submit these lawsuits – this is the number one. We press even though we understand that the climate here in Washington, DC is not the best. But we still have to continue the crime, as I said earlier. We support Professional LawWhich gives workers the right to obtain a seat on the table to improve the labor law in this country. We do the same with Public freedom to negotiate For public service workers.
We have the ability to fill every day – to fill the union members, but also workers who are not in unions in our societies all over the country. Because this also affects them. The procedures suggested have an effect on every person who relies on public services: medicaid, medicare, social security. All these programs are attacked, and we have to do what we do better, and this is exactly what we do.
This novel came against public sector workers with strong and strong. How can you combat feelings coming from those that have huge platforms like Trump and Musk?
Not only Federal workers. It is really all the workers. There is an attack on all workers now. I think the way I can answer this question is that the reality is now hitting people in the face. I mean, they feel that. People are randomly demobilized. People are shot. Their rights are taken away from them. The services that the American people depend on, and they suggest that more damage will occur. Therefore, I mean, here is the book of play that they talked about, and now they put a procedure, and we must make sure that people understand the influence that will be caused by them and their families. You have to interact with it in a way that we ask people to fight and listen to their voices. You can’t sit silently and watch this happens.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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