History watches closely in times of crisis. And history will remember this moment: the moment when the Trump administration, emboldened by extremism and contempt for working people, launched yet another attack—not just on federal workers but on the very right of American workers to organize, to speak, and to act in our own interests.
The Trump administration’s sweeping purges and budget slashes across vital federal agencies—HHS, CDC, NIH, USAID, Education, IRS, VA, FEMA, NPS, and HUD—reveal not a coherent policy agenda, but the unhinged vengeance of a narcissist lashing out at systems he neither understands nor respects. In a grotesque abuse of Article II powers, Trump has turned the executive branch into a personal vendetta machine—firing experts, defunding essential programs, and dismantling institutions critical to public health, scientific research, disaster response, education equity, and basic governance. These aren’t cost-saving measures or efficiency improvements; they’re acts of petty retaliation against perceived enemies and facts that bruised his ego. From gutting disease prevention infrastructure to sabotaging aid during disasters, it’s clear this isn’t administrative oversight—it’s administrative arson, lit by a man so obsessed with loyalty and control that he’s willing to torch the federal government just to watch it burn from behind a podium bearing his name.
Let’s be crystal clear: this is not governance. This is retaliation. Retaliation against the millions of working people who serve our country every single day—quietly, effectively, and with dignity. Federal workers—who plow our roads, keep our skies safe, investigate crimes, protect our food, serve our veterans, and so much more—are under attack for doing what all Americans should have the freedom to do: stand together in solidarity.
The Trump administration’s renewed attempt to weaken or destroy labor rights in the federal sector is nothing short of an assault on democracy itself. By undermining collective bargaining, silencing union voices, and stripping protections from the very workers who keep our government running, this administration is declaring war not just on unions—but on the working class as a whole.
And we see the pattern. We’ve seen it before. Whether it’s attacking responsible bidder policies in our cities and counties, trying to eliminate Project Labor Agreements that uplift local workers, or gutting apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that create opportunity for underserved communities—the throughline is clear: a political agenda that favors power over people, corporate wealth over public service, and privatization over the common good.
But working people are not going to be passive victims in this story. We’ve seen time and again how unions raise the floor for everyone—especially in times of crisis. When the nation was reeling from a pandemic, union labor rebuilt, trained, showed up, and held firm to the values of safety, equity, and fair pay. Union members took the lead in solving the intertwined crises of housing instability, food insecurity, and access to care and transportation—challenges made worse by decades of disinvestment in people.
We in the labor movement know this truth: the American people have our backs. Public approval of unions is higher today than it’s been in over 75 years. That’s not by accident—it’s because people see what we do, and they know who’s fighting for them.
This administration may believe they can scare us into silence. But we are not afraid. We are organized. From Cincinnati to Cleveland, workers are rising from coast to coast—demanding a seat at the table, fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect. We know that building a stronger future means investing in people. It means ensuring that the public sector works for the public, not for private profiteers. And it means protecting the right to organize as a sacred democratic cornerstone, not a bargaining chip.
We call on every elected leader—at every level of government—to stand with us now, to push back against this political vendetta against workers, to speak up, show up, and legislate in favor of fairness, decency, and the common good.
Because when they come for one of us, they come for all of us. And we will not back down. We will stand up. Together. The labor movement built this country. And we’re not done building.
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