Leaders warn | Government workers are “canary in coal mines”. Trump administration

this Trump administration The union contracts of hundreds of thousands of federal workers were unilaterally deprived of hundreds of thousands of federal workers after the federal appeals court rejected an injunction that prohibited the program. According to the White House, it’s just getting started.

Executive Order release In March, attempts were made to cancel all collective bargaining agreements for most federal employees, citing national security issues and removing collective bargaining rights from more than one million workers.

While unions, including the U.S. Government Employees Federation, launched legal action when they challenged the move and obtained the ban, Actually rejected Earlier this month.

In the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of Agriculture It has since been terminated. An estimated 400,000 are affected. About 2.6% of union workers In the United States.

“I think what this administration is doing is trying us as a test bed. If they succeed, I do believe they will follow every labor organization in the United States,” Everett Kelley, president of AFGE, the largest federal union in the United States, told The Guardian. “This is a fight for democracy in this country. It is a struggle for every worker in the United States.

“If Trump succeeds in demolishing AFGE, there is nothing to stop him from following every labor organization in the country, we believe he will.”

Taylor Rogers, assistant White House press secretary, said the recent appeals court ruling “reaffirmed President Trump’s legitimate executive power to protect the interests of the United States and could eliminate collective bargaining agreements in institutions engaged in national security functions”, adding: “Trump’s administration looks forward to continuing victory.”

AFGE, which one represent The 320,000 employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received a notice from August 6 to August 6 five days after the Court of Appeal ruling – the result will be terminated.

exist statement In this, senior secretary Doug Collins did not quote national security, but claimed that canceling the contract would free up time and resources for the entire department.

“In U.S. history, there is no cancellation of alliance contracts on this scale,” said Navid Shah, political director of the Veterans Group General Defense Department and U.S. Army Veterans. “If the workers and veterans of VA are not sacred enough to protect, … Every worker in the public and private sectors should pay attention. ”

Shah warned that canceling union contracts in Virginia would make it harder for workers to defend patients and have a safe workplace, thus reducing care available to veterans.

“They create division, anxiety and uncertainty in your daily life as a government employee,” said a nurse from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Queens, New York. “The attack on the working class of government is only the first step.”

The nurse said workers have won benefits and rights, including eight hours of working days, sick leave, workers’ compensation, fairness of promotion and the ability to get attention through the union.

“As the government moves, they have taken it,” they added. “As the government enters and politicizes the workforce and demonizes jobs and employees, it has gotten rid of the best we really provide for veterans..transparent

VA has been facing for a long time threaten Nurse believes that cuts and services are given privatisation. “They took away an entity standing in front of the agency, took them to standards, took them to the law, incorporated them into the contract, and also whistleblowers on all the wrong things,” they added. “This administration has taken a step forward, taking care of the veterinarians. Veterinarians deserve a level of care. That’s why VA was created.”

“Canaries in the coal mine”

August 8 – The Court of Appeals ruling seven days – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received notification from workers that the agency is ending all collective bargaining agreements with the union representing workers.

“This is the biggest attack on labor rights since the PATCO strike,” about 12,000 air traffic controllers stepped out in 1981, while Ronald Reagan answer AFGE Council 238 president Justin Chen said that by firing them and disbanding the union, the committee represents about 8,000 workers in the EPA. “It’s much worse.”

“Essentially, we’re just canaries in the coal mines,” he added.

Chen said the union is investigating other ways to protect its members as it is underway after the Court of Appeal lifted the injunction.

AFGE is currently supporting a bill in Congress, Labor protection law in the United Stateswhich will restore collective bargaining rights for federal workers. The bill has 222 Republicans in the House of Representatives, including seven Republicans.

In April memorandumthis Chief Capital Officer Committee (Note that the collective bargaining agreement should not be terminated until the lawsuit is over, or the agency provides further guidance. Attorneys representing the Trump administration are attorneys. Quote The judge’s memorandum, that the agent will wait for the termination of the contract.

The Office of Management and Budget did not respond to a request for comment on why the union contract was cancelled when the order was executed. Personnel Management Office Delayed to their director’s blog post.

“The government, they know we are a threat to their authoritarianism, they know we are workers representing civil servants, they promise to uphold the Constitution and serve the mission of their institutions at the same time, which should have been politically agnostic and serve the public,” Chen added. “It’s obvious that while this administration tries to portray itself as a kind of defender of workers, they attack popular programs like Medicaid, they attack popular institutions like the EPA and VA.”