Hundreds of Thousands of Union Contracts Canceled

On March 27, in the middle of the night, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order that shows very clearly that they intend to destroy the labor movement in the US. The order strips the right to organize from hundreds of thousands of federal workers at more than thirty agencies. This is the most blatant anti-worker, anti-union attack yet. The fact sheet issued with the order explicitly states that this is retribution for unions speaking out and leading the charge against the administration’s illegal actions in court. An AFL-CIO statement released on the morning of March 28 states “This is union-busting, plain and simple, and if President Trump can cancel hundreds of thousands of union members’ contracts with the stroke of a pen, no union contract in America is safe – and freedom for anyone to join a union, no matter where you work or where you live, is under attack. We are asking every single American who cares about the fundamental freedom of all workers to call their member of Congress right now.” The main line in Washington is 844-733-3712, but I would strongly suggest looking up the direct line to your representative’s and senator’s offices, as you will spend much less time waiting on hold, if any. And please call rather than email – any congressional staffer will tell you that this is by far the most effective way to get your message to your rep, as all calls are officially logged in the appropriate category.

Tell your senators and representative that we demand our union rights be protected. You could leave it that simple, or you could go on to make other important points such as: unions improve federal agency performance, they don’t hurt it. This is about union busting, not national security. To quote Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees, “A union nurse at the VA isn’t a threat to national security…federal unions are in the crosshairs now, but if they get away with this, every working person will be next.”

Another good point you could make is one made above – this is a blatant attempt by the administration to punish unions for speaking out against its illegal actions, and any member of Congress that cares about working people needs to speak out and fight back. We will not stand for this blatant abuse of power.

Here are some clarifications about federal unions: unlike our union, they cannot negotiate over pay, benefits, or hiring/firing decisions; they are prohibited by law from striking; nearly one third of federal employees are veterans; federal unionism has very broad support from both political parties; and without union representation, employees, especially whistle-blowers and veterans, lose vital protections from retaliation and political interference.

This goes far beyond party politics. This is a direct attack on all of us who value democracy, the rule of law, and the freedoms of speech and association. To quote Economic Policy Institute President Heidi Shierholz: “We cannot allow this power grab to go unchallenged. By undermining the rights of workers who ensure our national security, public health, and economic stability, the administration is not only attacking unions but also jeopardizing the very services that keep our nation safe and functional.” The AFGE is of course challenging this illegal directive.

On April 2, the AFL-CIO issued a statement applauding Representatives Jared Golden and Brian Fitzpatrick for introducing bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives to reverse this executive order, saying “There are 70 percent of Americans and nearly 9 in 10 young people who support unions – no one voted to attack the freedom to organize with our co-workers for a better life.” On April 5, peaceful demonstrations that are part of the AFL-CIO’s Hands Off Our Unions! campaign happened all over the country in both major cities and small towns. Long time activists anticipate that these protests are a prelude to what we can expect around the week of May 1, International Workers Day. Locally, there is a march scheduled in Dallas on April 27 at 2PM from Civic Gardens Park.

One positive bit of news on the legislative front for unions is that Representative Fitzpatrick, along with fellow Representatives Donald Norcross, Chris Deluzio, and Senator Mazie Hirono, introduced a new piece of bipartisan legislation on Tuesday called the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act. This legislation, if passed, would set a minimum nationwide standard of collective bargaining rights states must provide – a right that public service workers in 25 states are currently denied, including Texas.

I’ll close by quoting Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO: “The labor movement is not about to let Trump and an unelected billionaire destroy what we have fought for generations to build. An injury to one is an injury to all. We will fight this outrageous attack for all working people.” I urge you to join this bipartisan fight by calling your senators and representative today.