The leader of a major government union outlines their strategy to battle Trump federal cuts—And says Elon Musk has ‘no clue’ about workers

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 very unusual resignation offers and sparkling 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 have been demobilized, but 62,530 jobs have been reduced so far 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 of the ruling is in response to 20 Democratic lawyers who call for the return of divorced workers from a federal judge in Maryland. The other was issued by a judge in the American Provincial Court of the Northern Region in California in response to a case filed by dozens of trade unions and calling 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 move announced by illegal. The Trump administration has already submitted an appeal 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, challenging some of the things that this administration does, whether it is in the courts, whether 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 of Americans believe that unions are very necessary in this country and 88 % of young people [view them favorably]. 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 is happening – at the federal level, [which will] Roll to the state and the local level, with huge potential discounts in federal programs. State governments depend on federal funds to finance programs at the state level; They get about 33 % of [their revenue] 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. Everything about the question [workers] Not to be silent, but to make their voices hear and fight as it has not happened before.

[When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the White House told Fortune: “President Trump returned to Washington with a mandate from the American people to bring about unprecedented change in our federal government to uproot waste, fraud, and abuse.”]

Elon Musk re -tweet indicating 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 [retweet] The comparison of public sector workers and our members say that “Hitler and Stalin and what they did not kill millions, but [their] Public sector service workers did. “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.

[Fortune reached out 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 the professional , which will give 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 the law of 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

2025-03-16 07:59:00