Minneapolis, MN – Over 1000 union members, immigrant rights activists and supporters marched through Minneapolis’ Whittier neighborhood on Monday, February 16, to demand an end to ICE’s occupation of the city and for the defense of immigrant rights.

Marchers held dozens of banners with slogans like “ICE our now,” “Legalization for all,” and “Killer ICE off our streets.” The march began at Stewart Park, crossed a highway where the supportive honks of passing traffic temporarily drowned out the marchers’ chants, and ended at the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street, where Alex Pretti was murdered.

Pretti was shot repeatedly in the back while held down on the ground by masked federal agents agents, after stepping between the agents and a woman who they were attempting to pepper spray.

The march was headlined by the Minnesota AFL-CIO, and was endorsed by many local unions, including AFGE Local 3669, AFSCME Council 5 and Council 65, ATU Local 1005, IATSE Local 13, IAM District 77, IUPAT District Council 82, LiUNA Minnesota and North Dakota, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Minnesota Nurses Association, NALC Branch 9, SEIU Locals 26 and 284, UFCW Locals 1189 and 663, and UNITE HERE Local 17. Many community organizations endorsed the event and turned out their membership to march as well, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations — MN (CAIR-MN), 50501 Minnesota, Reviving Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE), Women’s March Minnesota, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

Speakers were unanimous in driving home the message that ICE occupation of Minnesota has not ended. Manuel Pascual, a member of MIRAC, spoke to the crowd from the back of a truck as the marchers took the streets, saying, “Just days ago, federal officials announced the end of Operation Metro Surge. Let’s be clear — that did not happen because they suddenly found compassion. It happened because people across Minnesota organized, spoke out, marched, and refused to stay silent. It happened because immigrant communities and allies showed courage. It happened because resistance worked.”

However, Pascual continued to note that the community fight against ICE continues, and spoke to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s agreeing to “unprecedented” levels of state collaboration with ICE, without details of this agreement being made public. Pascual said, “What we are seeing now is not a victory lap from those in power. It is a shift in strategy. A quieter approach. Deals being made behind closed doors. Policies that risk embedding ICE deeper into our local systems — into our jails, into policing, into everyday encounters — where harm becomes less visible but no less real. We must say clearly: we will not be fooled.”

Organizers noted that a decreased ICE presence in Minnesota also does not mean that the battle against ICE has ended on a national scale, and that just as millions marched across the country in solidarity with Minnesota, Minnesota will march in solidarity with any future city to see a large-scale occupation by ICE.

When the march arrived at the site of Alex Pretti’s murder, organizers handed out flowers to attendees so they could lay them in tribute at his memorial. The crowd was asked to repeat these slogans after the emcee: “We have a duty to fight for our freedom! We have a duty to win! We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

MIRAC plans to take their demands for an end to ICE terror and for legalization for all directly to Governor Walz, with a rally outside the Minnesota Governor’s Residence at 1006 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #Labor #AFLCIO #AFGE #AFSCME #ATU #IAM #MIRAC #CAIRMN #FRSO

Seminole, FL – On the morning of January 29, around 20 union members and community supporters rallied outside of Representative Anna Paulina Luna’s office in Seminole, Florida. The Florida AFL-CIO organized the event to demand justice and accountability for Alex Pretti, a Veterans Administration nurse and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union member who was murdered by Border Patrol in Minneapolis.

Carol White, the legislative political coordinator for AFGE Local 547, began the event by leading a moment of silence in honor of the memory of Alex Pretti. “AFGE calls for a full and transparent investigation into Alex’s killing, led by an independent third party. We also call for bipartisan Congressional oversight to uncover the truth, ensure accountability, and begin repairing the damage in public trust,” White shared.

The AFGE was joined by speakers from the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA) and National Nurses United (NNU). Also in attendance were union members from the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).

“Due process does not involve any government agency shooting people on the street who are practicing their civil rights,” said PCTA president Lee Bryant.

Standing outside Representative Luna’s office, the crowd chanted “Hey, Rep. Luna, read the room! Hey, Rep. Luna, shame on you!”

Serving Florida’s 13th Congressional District, Representative Luna has been a strong supporter of ICE and regularly stands in opposition to the movement for immigrants’ rights.

“I demand that Representative Luna use our tax dollars to fund healthcare and not ICE,” said Karena Jimenez, a registered nurse and member of National Nurses United.

The Tampa Bay Area isn’t slowing down anytime soon and will continue to demand justice for Alex Pretti and all victims of ICE violence this Friday night outside of the VA hospitals in Tampa and Saint Petersburg.

#SeminoleFL #FL #Labor #ImmigrantRights #AlexPretti #AFGE #NNU #APWU #AFACWA

Tampa, FL – Alrededor de 20 trabajadores del Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos (VA, por sus siglas en inglés) y simpatizantes se manifestaron frente a la clínica del VA en Bruce B Downs Boulevard en Tampa temprano en la mañana del 4 de agosto. La manifestación fue organizada por la Federación Americana de Empleados Gubernamentales (AFGE) Local 547 y forma parte de una campaña nacional más amplia en contra de los continuos ataques a los trabajadores federales por parte de la administración Trump.

En febrero, después de la toma de posesión de Trump, el VA anunció que eliminaría 80,000 puestos de trabajo, equivalentes al 20% de la fuerza laboral del VA, como parte de los recortes impulsados por DOGE. Esto comenzó con el despido de los 2,400 empleados en periodo de prueba.

En marzo, Trump emitió una orden ejecutiva que eliminó los derechos de negociación colectiva para muchos trabajadores federales, incluidos los del VA, en lo que ha sido considerado el mayor ataque contra el movimiento obrero en décadas.

Aunque estas medidas han sido revertidas temporalmente por el sistema judicial, forman parte de un ataque continuo contra los trabajadores federales, y los trabajadores siguen en la lucha.

Los trabajadores estaban muy motivados en el piquete, coreando consignas como: “Cuando atacan al VA, ¿qué hacemos? ¡Defendernos y luchamos!” y solicitando apoyo de los vehículos que pasaban. Su ánimo se mantuvo alto gracias al récord de trabajadores que se han unido a la AFGE en respuesta a los ataques del gobierno de Trump.

#TampaFL #Labor #Trump #VA #AFGE

Tampa, FL – About 20 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workers and supporters rallied at the VA clinic on Bruce B Downs Boulevard in Tampa early in the morning of August 4. The rally was put on by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 547 and is part of a larger nationwide campaign opposing ongoing attacks on federal workers by the Trump administration.

In February, after Trump was inaugurated, the VA announced it would be cutting 80,000 jobs, or 20% of the total VA workforce, as part of the DOGE-led cuts on services. This started with the firing of all 2400 probationary employees.

In March, Trump delivered an executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from many federal workers, including workers at the VA, in what has been called the greatest attack on the labor movement in decades.

While these have been reversed by the court system for now, they are part of an ongoing attack on federal workers, and workers are continuing the fight.

Workers were highly motivated at the picket, chanting “When the VA is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and soliciting support from passing vehicles. Their spirits were buoyed by record numbers of workers joining the AFGE in light of the attacks from the Trump administration.

#TampaFL #FL #Labor #VA #AFGE #Trump #Feature

La Comisión Sindical de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad condena a Trump y a su cómplice Elon Musk por los crueles ataques contra los trabajadores federales.

Hasta ahora, decenas de miles de trabajadores federales han sido despedidos o suspendidos. Los despidos se han llevado a cabo de la manera más cruel posible. El número exacto no está claro debido al caos que ha acompañado este proceso. Correos electrónicos inesperados enviados tarde en la noche. Mensajes de texto diciéndoles a los trabajadores que recojan sus cosas y se vayan a casa. Y el presidente Trump usando las redes sociales para burlarse de quienes enfrentan esta situación. Nada de esto es razonable, ni bueno, ni aceptable.

Para quienes estamos activos en el movimiento obrero, este es un momento crítico, como el “canario en la mina”. Es una prueba que no podemos fallar. Es vital que todo el movimiento obrero se movilice en apoyo a los sindicatos de trabajadores federales, como la Federación Americana de Empleados del Gobierno (American Federation of Government Employees), y exigir que se respeten los contratos y que se reviertan los despidos. Para lograrlo, debemos exigir que nuestros sindicatos apoyen a los trabajadores federales. Líderes sindicales como el presidente de los Teamsters, Sean O'Brien, están equivocados al decir que debemos esperar a ver qué pasa.

En 1981, el presidente Reagan cambió el rumbo de las relaciones laborales en EE.UU. cuando despidió a 11,000 controladores aéreos en huelga. Hoy estamos ante un momento similar. Trump está amenazando con privatizar el servicio postal. Hay ataques contra la Junta Nacional de Relaciones del Trabajo (NLRB). Y por supuesto, decenas de miles de trabajadores federales no recibirán su pago esta semana. La complacencia no puede ser la orden del día.

Muchos de nosotros que somos sindicalistas activos tenemos amigos o conocidos que son miembros o líderes de sindicatos de trabajadores federales. Debemos instarlos a organizar protestas y tomar otras acciones. Esta es una preocupación de cada miembro de un sindicato, y debemos unirnos a cualquier resistencia contra estos ataques. Una herida a uno es una herida a todos. ¡El ataque contra los trabajadores federales puede, debe y será derrotado!

#Labor #FederalWorkers #AFGE #FRSO #OSCL #Statement

That contract protects approximately 47,000 Transportation Security Officers. The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFGE TSA Local 1121, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA).

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, the lawsuit seeks to block this illegal action, which violates the constitutional rights of federal employees and undermines collective bargaining protections. The plaintiffs argue that Secretary Noem’s actions constitute unconstitutional retaliation against AFGE for exercising its First Amendment right to advocate on behalf of federal workers. They also argue that the administration’s actions also violate the Fifth Amendment by stripping TSA workers of vested property rights without due process.

The plaintiffs demand immediate injunctive relief to stop the administration from rescinding the existing contract, eliminating union representation, and stripping workers of their bargaining rights.

“The decision to eliminate collective bargaining rights for TSA is terrible for aviation security and everyone who depends on safe travel,” said Sara Nelson, president of AFA-CWA, representing 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines.

“This attack on our members is not just an attack on AFGE or transportation security officers. It’s an assault on the rights of every American worker,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Labor #AFGE #TSA #CWA #AFACWA

Chicago, IL – Health care workers and veterans have been protesting at VA Hospitals across the country as President Donald Trump and his multibillionaire sidekick Elon Musk attempt to gut healthcare for veterans. Union members who work at VA Hospitals have been in the forefront of the fight to save veteran benefits.

VA hospitals were amongst the hardest hit by the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers. “We love our veterans,” Aimee Potter of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) told a February 26 rally outside the Jesse Brown VA Hospital in Chicago. “We are here to support them.”

U.S. military veterans have historically been given preference in hiring at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Despite this, Trump has already fired an estimated 6000 veterans in his first weeks in office. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced plans to cut 80,000 more jobs. Many of these jobs are held by veterans.

Pat Kearns is a registered nurse at the Iowa City VA and president of AFGE Local 2547. Appearing on the Fight Back! Radio podcast, Kearns noted, “Our patients are pretty fiercely loyal to us. Everybody at least has to give lip service, even in the Republican Party, to the fact that veterans deserve healthcare. And so I think it's death by a thousand cuts rather than one firing of half the employees in one fell swoop. The VA's been underfunded for a number of years. You don't have to kick it very hard to tip it.”

Workers and unions are not taking this lying down. Unions, including AFGE, have taken the Trump administration to court to block these illegal terminations. So far, many of the unions’ efforts have been successful.

Encouraged by the AFL-CIO, workers, including veterans, have been holding hearings to tell their stories. The Chicago Federation of Labor and the Jobs with Justice Workers Rights Board held such a hearing in Chicago, March 10, where VA social worker Denise Mercherson testified, ”The VA is the biggest employer of social workers in the country. We have 9.1 million veterans in the VA system. Are you aware of the number of homeless veterans? But we have closed the gap due not only to the social workers, but the VA healthcare system.”

The DOGE attack on the federal work force puts veterans, who make up 30% of the federal workforce serving in every department, directly in the crosshairs. But it is more than an attack on veterans, it is an attack on the working class.

Business and government’s all-out attack on unions over the last 50 years has reduced union membership in the private sector to 6.7% of the workforce. This is compared to a total union membership of 35% of the workforce in 1954. Currently half of all union members are in the public sector. Rather than rebuild worker power, Trump seeks to destroy it through attacks on the public sector workers and unions.

This was evident to Aimee Potter at the rally as she told the crowd, “We need solidarity and collective action. Democracy as we once knew it is no longer!”

Workers across the country will be joining immigrants and others under attack to march for justice on May Day, International Workers Day.

Richard Berg is the host of the Fight Back! Radio podcast. The current episode features President Pat Kearns of AFGE Local 2547

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #FederalWorkers #AFGE #Trump #Layoffs #Veterans #VA

The Labor Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns Trump and his accomplice Elon Musk for the callous attacks on federal workers.

As it stands, tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired or laid off. The terminations have been carried out in the most callous way possible. The exact number is unclear because of the chaos that has accompanied the process. Unexpected late-night emails. Text messages telling workers to take their things and go home. And President Trump taking to social media to mock those facing hardship. None of this is reasonable or okay or acceptable.

For those of us active in the labor movement, this is a ‘canary in the coal mine’ kind of time. It’s a test that we cannot fail. It is vital that all organized labor rally in the support of the federal workers unions, like the American Federation of Government Employees, and insist contracts are honored and the layoffs are rolled back. To that end, we must insist our unions stand with the federal workers. Unions leaders like Teamsters President Sean O'Brien are mistaken when they say we should wait and see what happens.

In 1981, President Reagan upended the course of U.S. labor relations when he fired 11,000 striking aircraft controllers. Today is that kind of moment. Trump is threatening to privatize postal workers. There are attacks on the National Labor Relations Board. And of course, there are tens of thousands of federal workers who will not be getting a paycheck this week. Complacency cannot be the order of the day.

Many of us who are active trade unionists have friends and acquaintances who are members or leaders of federal worker unions. We should urge them to hold protests and take other actions. This is a concern of every union member, and we should join any resistance to these attacks. An injury to one is an injury to all. The attack on federal workers can, must, and will be defeated!

#Labor #Statement #FRSO #AFGE #FederalEmployees #Trump #Layoffs

Seattle, WA – On February 17, over 2000 people rallied at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building to demand an end to the Trump administration’s layoffs. The rally was organized by federal workers, many represented by the American Federation of Government Employees, hoping to bring the people onto the streets to defend civil services against the Elon Musk led purge of more than 10,000 (and counting) federal employees.

The very next day, February 18, over 1000 workers in the National Parks Service were removed from their posts. Many more in critical agencies, such as the NLRB, EPA, Department of Health, and others have already been fired or are bracing for the same fate. The administration has made threats to fire all probationary staff, which, as NLRB field attorney Liz Devleming explained, “in the Seattle office, that’s about half of our staff.”

Civil servants and their supporters packed into the square in front of the federal building, the sidewalks in the surrounding blocks, and even onto the balconies of the Wells Fargo building across the street, chanting “Federal workers – hold the line!” The chorus of car horns as supportive drivers passed by was a constant background to the speeches given by aggrieved federal workers, their spouses, their friends, and others affected by the reckless austerity campaign.

Among the people in attendance, the fierce sentiment of support for organized labor and its role in fighting back was palpable. Every mention of union affiliation was met with raucous applause from the crowd.

Mathieu Chabaud, a UAW 4121 member at the University of Washington who is facing mass layoffs under the Trump administration, stated, “If you’re a union member, and you haven’t been going to union meetings, start going. Start talking to your coworkers about how you’re going to organize! And if you’re not in a union, find an organization where you can fight!”

Chabaud continued, as the crowd cheered, “We have power in the streets, and we have power in the workplace! We won the eight-hour working day because workers went on strike for it, because it made the ruling class scared, and we need to make them scared again!”

A common theme among signs at the protest was resistance against Trump and his stream of illegal orders and actions being handed down from on high, some calling him a dictator and a self-appointed king. Other protesters held signs reading “Fire Elon Musk!” and “No nazis.”

Federal workers and their unions are not backing down after the demonstration on Monday. Even during that event they were gearing up for a national day of action the following Wednesday on the 19th to picket Tesla dealerships around the country and to wage a social media campaign to raise awareness and support for the cause.

Devleming told Fight Back!, “These are terrifying, historic times; our grandchildren will judge us on how we act.”

With this massive turnout, federal workers made it clear that they are ready to oppose these attacks on their livelihoods and services, and that they’re ready to make good on their promise chanted across the streets, “When federal workers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #AFGE #FederalWorkers

“Union contracts are enforceable by law, and the president does not have the authority to make unilateral changes to those agreements,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “AFGE members will not be intimidated. If our contracts are violated, we will aggressively defend them.”

President Trump’s return-to-worksite directive and initial guidance from the Office of Personnel Management explicitly stated that applicable law and collective bargaining obligations must be met. But on Monday, OPM issued another memorandum claiming that hybrid work arrangements set forth in union contracts are likely “likely unlawful” and should be ignored by agencies to meet compliance with Trump’s directive.

“AFGE will not let the lawless actions of this administration, or any agency go unchallenged, and we will use every option available to us to defend our contracts,” Kelley said.

#WashingtonDC #Labor #AFGE #Trump

Milwaukee, WI – Fifty Veterans Affairs workers and supporters rallied outside the Zablocki VA hospital August 12 to protest union-busting, attacks on high-quality public veteran healthcare, and bad faith bargaining by the VA administration.

The rally was organized by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3 and supported by the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Veterans for Peace and elected leaders including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin.

AFGE members and representatives detailed shocking accounts of the extreme measures that the VA administration is taking to strip union rights. VA negotiators are intentionally obstructing contract negotiations with the union, trying to force an impasse after only ten days of bargaining. VA negotiators proposed scrapping 63% of the current contract, which would effectively gut many basic union rights.

“We have to stand up and fight!” said AFGE district organizer Don Evans as he railed against the anti-union tactics of the VA and Trump administration. “You want to make America great? No more shutdowns, stop balancing the budget with our paychecks,” continued Evans, “You want to make America great? Restore the integrity of the VA hospital and bargain in good faith!”

Under the Trump administration, federal agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs have essentially declared war on federal government workers and their unions. VA employees who are active in their union, enforcing the contract and defending workplace rights, are being singled out and targeted for discipline and harassment by management. The assault on union rights at the VA is part of a much larger effort by the Trump administration and employer-funded groups to weaken unions and disenfranchise working class people generally.

Milwaukee VA workers say bargaining had been scheduled to continue until December, and they will not back down in the face of harassment and bad faith bargaining.

#MilwaukeeWI #US #PeoplesStruggles #PublicSectorUnions #DonaldTrump #YoungWorkersCommittee #AFGE #VeteranAffairs

Jacksonville, FL – As the partial government shutdown entered its 35th day on January 25, federal workers gave the country a lesson in the power of labor. Citing “a slight increase in sick leave” at two of the largest air traffic control centers on the eastern seaboard, the Federal Aviation Authority ordered a 90-minute ground stop for flights going into LaGuardia Airport in New York City.

Within hours, President Donald Trump announced an end to the shutdown, after taking a deal offered three weeks earlier by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. The deal to reopen the government and provide back-pay to the 800,000 furloughed federal workers did not include funding for Trump’s proposed wall along the southern border or any additional funding for border security.

Why did Trump, the self-styled ‘master of deals’ who staked his presidency on the construction of a border wall, fold like a cheap suit on Day 35? The president had paid a steep cost for this debacle from the beginning when he publicly agreed to “own” the shutdown. Poll numbers consistently showed a solid majority of Americans blaming Trump for the shutdown.

But the credit for ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history belongs to the working class – not political grandstanding by congressional Democrats or even poll numbers.

Government shutdown and the working class

The partial government shutdown began on December 22, 2018. Funding for a number of key agencies expired, and President Trump refused to sign any bill from Congress that did not include nearly $6 billion in funds for a wall along the southern border of the U.S.

The impasse left 800,000 federal workers, the majority of whom are unionized, furloughed and without pay. Over half of these furloughed workers, 420,000, were legally required to continue working without pay because their particular jobs are deemed ‘essential’, like air traffic controllers and airport security. Predictably, as time went on, many of these workers stopped showing up entirely. Absenteeism became rampant in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) airport security operations, where TSA agents are already some of the lowest-paid federal workers.

Unions representing these furloughed workers, like the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), led protests and pickets in Washington D.C. and across the country. These efforts drew support from the rest of organized labor, particularly in adjacent industries to those affected by the shutdown. Union leaders forcefully argued that the stress on workers created by the shutdown, along with growing absenteeism and short-staffing, created major safety hazards and risks for both employees and the general public.

The Trump administration added fuel to the fire with a series of insulting comments and condescending advice to struggling workers and their families. Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul, ludicrously claimed he could “feel their pain,” while later suggesting hungry furloughed workers should just tell their local grocery stores that they would pay “later” at the checkout counter. Wilber Ross, Trump’s Commerce Secretary, publicly said he “couldn’t understand” why federal employees were complaining instead of “taking out loans” to pay for their necessities.

Further highlighting the class warfare at work during the shutdown, Trump and several of his officials began floating ideas for reducing or eliminating federal employees’ pensions. These anti-worker comments and proposals proved the final nail in the coffin for many workers who may have bought into Trump’s cynical populist campaign message in 2016. It became all too clear that Trump serves the same class and interests that he himself comes from: billionaires, banks and corporations.

Federal workers and the strike weapon

Some liberal journalists and political commentators brought up the idea of a federal employee strike early on, which drew criticism from some labor leaders. Joe Burns, a former negotiator for the Association of Flight Attendants and a prominent labor writer, wrote on the Reviving the Strike Facebook page, “So the New York Times who would never support federal workers’ right to strike, publishes a piece by Barbara Ehrenreich saying federal workers should strike. How about leave it to federal workers to decide and not have them be pawns in the so-called ‘resistance’? I love striking but am sick and tired of folks thinking they can call strikes for other people.”

Burns is right to criticize the out-of-hand suggestion to strike by comfortable liberals without skin in the game. Despite heavy unionization, federal workers have tremendous legal restrictions on their right to organize – restrictions imposed by many of the same politicians these commentators support. They are legally prohibited from striking, and workers who engage in a work stoppage face serious charges and a lifetime ban on federal employment. Federal employee unions cannot bargain over wages and benefits, which are set by Congress, and the Hatch Act severely limits their ability to lobby or engage in any political action.

Leaders of AFGE, including their international president, got arrested protesting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Washington D.C. just a few days before the shutdown ended, but on the whole, the union has resisted calls for more radical action. Part of this comes from the devastating memory of Ronald Reagan busting the air traffic controllers’ strike more than 30 years ago, which signaled a wider employer-led offensive against labor in the 1980s.

But another aspect of AFGE’s reluctance to push back harder comes from internal divisions. Federal unions include law enforcement elements, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who outspokenly favored Trump in 2016 and actually supported the shutdown, despite also working without pay. Many federal employees, because of their proximity to the military industrial complex, tend to hold deep conservative beliefs, and union leadership has avoided challenging the backwards ideas of some members. As a result, some labor leaders saw a real risk that a large part of their membership would refuse to participate in a work stoppage or organized slow-down.

Labor militancy grows

But as the shutdown dragged into its fourth week with no end in sight, more militant voices in organized labor began proposing more drastic action. On January 20, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Sara Nelson, issued a call for the labor movement to begin discussing a general strike in response to the government shutdown.

“There is a humanitarian crisis unfolding right now for our 800,000 federal sector sisters and brothers who are either locked out of work or forced to come to work without pay due to the government shutdown,” said Nelson at an award ceremony honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “We can end this shutdown together. Federal sector unions have their hands full caring for the 800,000 federal workers who are at the tip of the spear. Some would say the answer is for them to walk off the job. I say, ‘What are you willing to do? Their destiny is tied up with our destiny – and they don’t even have time to ask us for help.’”

Nelson ended her blistering remarks with a call for renewed militancy and solidarity. “What is the labor movement waiting for?” she asked. “Go back with the fierce urgency of now to talk with your locals and international unions about all workers joining together – to end this shutdown with a general strike.”

By January 25, the international president of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Chris Shelton, pledged something similar. “CWA is ready to pursue every option available,” said Shelton in a press release, “up to and including participating in general strikes involving all working people if necessary: union members and non-union workers exercising their power to help end this damaging and dangerous shutdown.”

Withholding labor stops the shutdown

This growing militancy among many labor leaders set the stage for Trump’s retreat and the end of the shutdown. On January 25, federal workers officially missed their second paycheck since the shutdown began. That day, a critical number of air traffic controllers in Washington D.C. and Jacksonville, Florida called out sick, forcing the FAA to ground flights for 90 minutes. While an unknown number of controllers stayed home in Jacksonville, six of the 13 in the Washington D.C. facility, which handles one-fifth of U.S. commercial flight traffic, called in sick and could not be replaced.

While the air traffic controllers’ union leaders denied organizing a ‘sick-out’, the results proved the staggering power of workers withholding their labor. LaGuardia saw 47 cancelled flights and 580 delays, while Newark saw 40 cancellations and 300 delays. Kennedy Airport also saw 230 delays, and the combined effect was backlogged flights and chaos at airports across the country. It was the airline executives’ worst nightmare come true, which they expressed several times on conference calls with shareholders during the shutdown.

Hours later, the Trump administration bowed to pressure from congressional Republicans and business executives and agreed to end the shutdown. No $6 billion in funding for a wall. No increase in border security. Nothing. It marked the latest humiliating loss for the president, who had previously said he wouldn’t reopen the government without funding for a wall, and it was dealt out by workers.

Summing up the shutdown

Even as liberals tried to credit House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with ending the shutdown – or more ludicrously, the arrest of Trump associate Roger Stone earlier that morning – most media outlets couldn’t deny the decisive role played by labor. But what role was that?

The AFL-CIO put out a statement crediting workers for ending the shutdown, but it made no mention of the critical role of air traffic controllers withholding their labor. Instead, they credited “marching, rallying and protesting together.” That all happened, true, but it made no discernable impact on Trump’s calculus for 35 days. It’s an out-of-touch statement by more conservative labor leaders, like AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, who have generally rejected the strike as a viable weapon for decades, putting their faith in lobbying teams and elections instead.

No one knows precisely the level of organization among those air traffic controllers who didn’t come to work on January 25. It could have occurred, as union leaders claimed, as an inevitable “symptom” of going weeks without pay. But the most important lesson for labor doesn’t require any intent on the part of the absent air traffic controllers: The working class has the power to shut down the country by withholding its labor.

The deal to reopen the federal government restores funding for three weeks, expiring again on February 15. Trump claims that without a $6 billion deal on his border wall, he will shut down the government again. Many federal workers expect this to happen again, and that could mean organized labor faces the same dilemma of the past 35 days.

It will take militant leadership, stronger organization and a recognition of the power held by the working class to beat back Trump’s attacks on labor. The strike is back on the table for hundreds of thousands of workers. Public school teachers in West Virginia, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Arizona and Los Angeles have struck in the last year, with many breaking the law to do it and winning their demands. Charter school teachers in Chicago made history by striking and winning a great contract late last year. Hotel workers have struck to improve industrywide conditions and win recognition.

The shutdown shows us that it’s time for labor’s leaders to embrace the strike and fight back. And if they won’t, it’s time for them to get out of the way of the rank-and-file leaders who will.

Dave Schneider is a union steward for the Teamsters and a rank-and-file UPS worker in Jacksonville, Florida.

#JacksonvilleFL #US #PeoplesStruggles #AirlineIndustry #AFLCIO #FlightAttendants #PublicSectorUnions #governmentShutdown #Strikes #DonaldTrump #AFGE

American Federation of Government Employees Local 332, which represents about 500 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at Pittsburgh International Airport and airports across Pennsylvania, is calling lawmakers and the administration to end this shutdown.

“We have members across the state who are worried about feeding their families and paying their bills,” AFGE Local 332 President William Reese said.

The Trump administration is moving to require additional federal workers to report to their jobs, without pay.

#PittsburghPA #PeoplesStruggles #AFGE #federalWorkers

“Our members put their lives on the line to keep our country safe,” said J. David Cox Sr., national president, American Federation of Government Employees.

“The harm to federal employees began at the first moment of the shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are working under sometimes dangerous conditions, including the plaintiffs who were forced to work overtime without pay,” said Heidi Burakiewicz, partner at KCNF DC. “Approximately 420,000 federal employees are continuing to work, but don’t know when they will get their next paychecks. This is not an acceptable way for any employer, let alone the U.S. government, to treat its employees. These employees still need to pay childcare expenses, buy gas, and incur other expenses to go to work every day and yet, they are not getting paid. It is a blatant violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.”

The lawsuit is brought on behalf of all ‘essential’ federal employees, those who are required to work without pay during the shutdown.

After the 2013 shutdown, approximately 25,000 essential federal employees, represented by KCNF DC, sued the government, arguing that the Fair Labor Standards Act requires that all employees, including federal employees, be paid on time for their services. In 2014, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims agreed and, in 2017, the court held further that the employees were entitled to twice their back pay because of the violation. However, even while the government is calculating the damages to those approximately 25,000 employees, the Office of Personnel Management has not required that essential federal employees be paid on time during the current shutdown.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #governmentShutdown #AFGE