U.S. government workers’ unions sue Trump, take to the street

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents around 820,000 federal workers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents about 1.4 million workers, requested a temporary restraining order on Oct. 4 to block President Donald Trump’s mass firing of federal workers, claiming that the government did not have the legal right to do so.

AFGE has filed a number of requests for Temporary Restraining Orders in the past few months, because the Trump administration is thrashing around trying to reach its goal of removing 300,000 federal employees by the end of the year. The Partnership for Public Service estimates the federal workforce has been reduced by about 200,000 employees as of Sept. 23. (masslive.com, Sept. 28)

The fact that 40% of the federal workforce are on unpaid furlough may reduce spending, but it will make getting a patent, an environmental clearance or payment for work done as a contractor more difficult.

AFGE is doing more than suing. It is getting into the streets with the slogan “Power belongs to the people!” and is actively trying to get its members out to protest on No Kings Day on Oct. 18.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders pointed out, “These threatened mass firings are the latest attack on working people by an administration abusing its power to push through its extreme Project 2025 agenda.”

Saunders stressed: “The threatened mass firings are unlawful. Public service work is vital to our communities, and we will do everything in our power to defend it.” (afge.org, Oct. 5)

AFGE members from coast to coast have been actively telling the media how these firings destroy the morale of the remaining employees and make it very difficult to provide the services people rely on.

AFGE Local 554 President Aaron Barker, who represents Transport Security workers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, told Atlanta News First on Oct. 1 that his members were being required to work, but without pay.

Barker said: “If something happens in Atlanta with the flight or a storm comes through, everything kind of comes to a halt. So if this continues and officers are not able to afford to come to work, you can expect to start seeing delays across the country.” 

AFGE Council 100 Secretary-Treasurer Johnny Jones, speaking on “Good Morning America” from Fort Worth, Texas, emphasized: “Child care does not take IOUs. Gasoline does not take IOUs. Your house payments do not take IOUs. And sometimes it becomes very difficult to maintain focus on the mission when you’re trying to figure out how you’re going to get to and from work.” (afge.org, Oct. 6,)

The Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has threatened to fire any air traffic controllers who don’t come to work. This happened a lot during the last 35-day shutdown under the Trump administration from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019. 

Forcing workers to work without paying them is akin to slavery and illegal under U.S. law.