Today's AFL-CIO press clips
POLITICS
DOGE sued by taxpayer groups and unions over access to IRS files
The Washington Post
By Shannon Najmabadi
Feb. 18, 2025
Groups advocating for unionized workers, taxpayers and small businesses sued the federal government Monday in an effort to stop the U.S. DOGE Service from accessing sensitive information maintained by the IRS. The plaintiffs are the Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance, National Federation of Federal Employees, Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO and IAM AFL-CIO.
Who Runs Elon Musk’s DOGE? Not Musk, the White House Says.
The New York Times
By Theodore Schleifer
Feb. 18, 2025
Who, exactly, runs the so-called Department of Government Efficiency? You might think it would be Elon Musk, the man who President Trump said “will lead the Department of Government Efficiency” alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, before Mr. Ramaswamy stepped away from it last month.
Judge expected to rule on Musk and DOGE access at several US agencies
Reuters
By Tom Hals
Feb. 18, 2025
A federal judge is expected to rule on Tuesday on a request by 13 U.S. states to temporarily block Elon Musk and the government downsizing team known as DOGE set up by President Donald Trump from accessing information systems at several federal agencies. Washington-based U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said at a hearing on Monday that she would try to rule within 24 hours on an emergency request by the Democratic state attorneys general seeking to block Musk and DOGE from accessing government systems and firing employees at seven agencies.
White House says Elon Musk is not in charge of DOGE — legally, anyway
NPR
By Stephen Fowler
Feb. 18, 2025
When Elon Musk refers to actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency as "we," he is not actually involved as an employee or leader of the initiative, according to a White House court filing Monday. In a declaration from Joshua Fisher, the director of the Office of Administration, Musk is described as a "Senior Advisor to the President" as a special government employee and is not an employee of the separate U.S. DOGE Service (USDS) or the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization tasked with improving government technology and cutting spending or staffing. Musk not being the legal leader of DOGE is a legal and technical distinction that contradicts the public representations made by Musk, DOGE and President Trump about the billionaire's position in the federal government, and continues to raise questions about the operations of an effort that Musk claimed to be "maximally transparent."
Judge lets DOGE access Education Department's student databases while lawsuit plays out
USA Today
By Zachary Schermele
Feb. 18, 2025
A federal judge on Monday denied a request from college students to prevent Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing U.S. Department of Education databases, a move they said placed the confidential records of millions in jeopardy. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss permitted the agency’s six-person detail from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to access systems with millions of students' personal and financial information while the privacy lawsuit unfolds. The Education Department had agreed to bar DOGE from the agency's databases for a week while awaiting the judge's decision.
National Park rangers at Independence Mall among probationary workers fired by Trump administration
CBS News
By Joe Brandt
Feb. 18, 2025
Two National Park rangers at Independence National Historical Park are among the thousands of probationary employees terminated by the Trump administration over Valentine's Day weekend, according to a union representing the rangers and other government workers. Probationary workers usually have less than a year on the job, whether they are new to their department or have recently changed positions. They have fewer protections than non-probationary employees. Leaders of the American Federation of Government Employees said the rangers received memos on Friday from the Department of the Interior indicating their service was terminated because they "failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because your subject matter, knowledge, skills and abilities do not meet the Department's current needs."
Science under siege: Trump cuts threaten to undermine decades of research
NBC News
By Evan Bush, Aria Bendix and Denise Chow
Feb. 18, 2025
The agency also ruffled staff on Wednesday by telling most remote and telework employees — including those who live more than 50 miles from the nearest EPA office — that they could no longer work from home. Union representatives said the EPA never bargained over the change. “This is another step in the psychological abuse of federal employees,” said Marie Owens Powell, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, a union that represents about 8,500 EPA staffers.
DOGE’s request for IRS data systems access may pose risks to tax filers
CNN
By Jeanne Sahadi
Feb. 18, 2025
The mere fact that DOGE is seeking such quick access has been alarming to many people for a number of reasons — including the potential that DOGE team members may access some types of tax data illegally, even if inadvertently — or illegally expose that data to third parties. Additionally, neither lawmakers nor the public have been given any clear sense as to what DOGE’s plans are for using the data it does access. (Alarm is so great that a group of taxpayer advocates, small business groups and unions filed an emergency suit in federal court to “halt DOGE’s unfettered and lawless access to personal data at levels (that) endanger the privacy of hundreds of millions of Americans.”)
Can Federal Workers Stop Trump?
Jacobin
By Joe DeManuelle-Hall
Feb. 18, 2025
Federal workers are spread across a handful of unions, the largest of which are the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing 800,000 workers, and the NTEU, representing 150,000. There’s also the NFFE, a Machinists affiliate; the Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), which represents 30,000 workers at agencies like NASA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Tennessee Valley Authority; and National Nurses United, which represents 15,000 nurses at the Veterans Affairs.
New DNC chair: Union workers, labor leaders will be ‘core to my decision-making’
The Hill
By Tara Suter
Feb. 18, 2025
New Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin said Tuesday that union workers and labor leaders will be “core to my decision-making.” “As Trump wages his war on working families, Democrats will fiercely answer the call to my favorite old union song, ‘Which Side Are You On?’ I’ll tell you what: Democrats are on the side of the worker,” he said. “We will show Americans every day that workers in fact do have more power than any billionaire.”
DNC chair outlines pro-worker, union focus in first memo in fight against Trump
The Guardian
By Michael Sainato
Feb. 18, 2025
The memo, titled “Democrats Will Fight Against Trump’s War on Working People”, comes as Martin is set to meet with United Steel Workers members in Pittsburgh. “By joining together in a union, working people have secured better wages, workplace protections, healthcare and the weekend. Because here’s the thing: unions expand opportunities for all workers – not just those who are members,” Martin wrote.
F.D.A.’s Food Safety Chief Resigns Over Trump Administration Layoffs
The New York Times
By Christina Jewett
Feb. 18, 2025
Jim Jones, the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s food division, resigned on Monday, citing what he called “indiscriminate” layoffs that would make it “fruitless for him to continue.” In his resignation letter, Mr. Jones estimated that 89 people of the 2,000 in his division were fired over the weekend, many of them freshly hired to do more in-depth work on chemical safety to protect the nation’s food supply.
Judge denies states' bid to curtail DOGE's powers
NBC News
By Daniel Barnes and Dareh Gregorian
Feb. 18, 2025
A federal judge Tuesday denied an effort by 14 states to immediately block Elon Musk and his advisory Department of Government Efficiency from accessing data systems or making personnel decisions at seven federal agencies. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote that the "possibility" that DOGE could harm the states "is not enough" to halt its activities.
Trump administration fires 20 immigration judges, amid mass dismissals of federal workers
News from the States
By Ariana Figueroa
Feb. 17, 2025
Matt Biggs, the president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents immigration judges, called the firings a “hypocrisy,” and predicted it will only worsen the backlog of cases in immigration court. “The firing of immigration judges when we need more judges to enforce our immigration laws by this administration is a perfect example of hypocrisy,” he said. “President Trump said he wanted to hire more immigration judges. Instead his underlings over the past month have fired 15 judges without cause and 12 managers who schedule deportation hearings.”
Federal judge won’t immediately block Elon Musk or DOGE from federal data or worker layoffs
AP News
By Lindsay Whitehurst
Feb. 18, 2025
A federal judge refused Tuesday to immediately block billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing government data systems or participating in worker layoffs. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan found that there are legitimate questions about Musk’s authority but said there isn’t enough evidence of grave legal harm to justify a temporary restraining order. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic states challenging DOGE’s authority to access sensitive government data. The attorneys general argued that Musk is wielding the kind of power that the Constitution says can be held only by those elected or confirmed by the Senate.
Judge stops Trump ouster of Merit Systems Protection Board chair
The Washington Post
By Olivia George
Feb. 18, 2025
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement, at least temporarily, of the Biden-appointed chair of the federal board that hears appeals of disciplinary actions against federal employees, ruling that the Trump administration had not articulated adequate grounds for her removal. The Trump administration fired Cathy Harris as chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board last week with a one-sentence email informing her that she was “terminated, effective immediately.” The messages provided no reason for the ouster. The next day, Harris sued, claiming that her termination violated federal law.
Trump’s Labor pick will need unusual help to get confirmed
Semafor
By Burgess Everett
Feb. 18, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is going to need help from Rand Paul, Democrats, or both if she wants to become Donald Trump’s labor secretary. She’s about to get a preview of how hard that may be.
The former Republican congresswoman is already boxed in ahead of her confirmation hearing this week before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. She has more bipartisan appeal than most other Trump nominees, but the committee’s membership and growing Democratic outrage at Trump are complicating her path to the Cabinet.
The Underestimated Alliance That Could Beat Back Trumpism
The New Republic
By Raina Lipsitz
Feb. 18, 2025
A majority of Americans support organized labor across party lines. Seventy percent approve of labor unions. A 2023 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, or AFL-CIO, poll of registered voters found that this was true of 91 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of independents, and 52 percent of Republicans. Sustainable mass movements require the broadest possible base of support, and Americans who didn’t vote or voted for Trump need labor rights, clean air and water, child care, health care, abortion rights, and paid family and sick leave, too. It is impossible to forge and win the large-scale universal programs that could improve millions of lives without a robust labor movement.
San Diego federal workers face potential layoffs
Fox 5 San Diego
By Juliette Vara
Feb. 18, 2025
Nationwide, emotions are running high as President Trump continues to press his executive orders and order layoffs of thousands of federal employees. FOX 5 has learned there are layoffs happening among some of the 60,000 estimated federal employees who live and work in San Diego County. Some of those layoffs include employees with the Social Security Administration, Department of Justice and the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department, according to District 12 National Vice President of The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Mario Campos.
Five Steamtown National Historic Site employees laid off
WNEP
By Jack Culkin
Feb. 18, 2025
Over the weekend, workers were laid off at several national parks across the country, including five probationary employees at Steamtown National Historic Site. According to union officials, it's part of the Trump administration's effort to shrink the size of the federal government. "These are people that take care of everything here every day. It's a 7-day operation. They rotate their shifts to make sure the maintenance is done, and it's not going to get done as quickly or as easily as it has in the past," said Ned George, AFGE Local 1647.
ORGANIZING
Ski Patrol Union Movement Hits East Coast
Powder
By Izzy Lidsky
Feb. 18, 2025
Ski patrollers from an east coast ski resort have begun the processes of unionizing. On February 17, 2025, more than 70% of ski patrollers at Maine's Sunday River have have signed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union. Patrollers from Sunday River hope to join United Mountain Workers, the labor organization that represents more than a dozen unionized mountain ops teams in the US. They plan to conduct a union election later this winter as the first step in becoming a unionized patrol unit.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
Thousands of University of California healthcare, research employees vote to authorize strike
Los Angeles Times
By Suhauna Hussain
Feb. 14, 2025
Thousands of University of California healthcare, research and technical employees voted to authorize a strike, citing what they described as systemic and ongoing staffing shortages that erode patient care and hurt research operations. The strike authorization comes amid strained negotiations between the university and University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119, the union representing nearly 20,000 employees in various research labs and medical facilities across the 10-campus UC system.
Workers End Strike at King Soopers Grocery Stores and Both Sides Agree to Resume Bargaining
U.S. News & World Report
By Associated Press
Feb. 18, 2025
More than 10,000 King Soopers grocery workers across the Denver area ended their 12-day strike late Monday after union leaders said they secured some basic protections for returning workers and agreed to resume bargaining with the Kroger-owned chain. Employees and management had hit a wall in contract negotiations over staffing and health care, but it was the Kroger-owned supermarket chain’s allegedly unfair negotiating practices that pushed workers to go on strike at 77 stores in Denver and its suburbs earlier this month.
King Soopers strike ends as union and company reach temporary deal
CPR News
By Molly Cruse
Feb. 18, 2025
After nearly two weeks of picket lines and legal battles — including an attempt to limit worker activities with a temporary restraining order — the labor dispute between King Soopers and its unionized workers is now on pause. The grocery chain and UFCW Local 7, which represents more than 10,000 striking employees in Colorado, announced Monday night that they have reached a temporary return-to-work agreement. As part of the deal, all picket lines officially ended at 11 p.m. Monday, and stores will resume normal operations by Wednesday, Feb. 19. Pharmacies will also return to normal hours.
JOINING TOGETHER
Federal Workers to Hold Public Actions in Multiple US Cities on Wednesday
Nonprofit Quarterly
By Steve Dubb
Feb. 18, 2025
Three weeks after a January 28 memo titled “Fork in the Road” encouraged federal workers to accept “deferred resignation” and leave their positions—and one week after a union-backed demonstration held at the Capitol—federal government union members are gearing up to hold demonstrations in cities across the country on Wednesday, February 19. Organizers are calling the coordinated events Save Our Services Day of Action.
STATE LEGISLATION
Michigan lawmakers side with corporations, slash wages for workers
People’s World
By Cameron Harrison
Feb. 18, 2025
Rob Bieber, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO, called out the legislature’s underhanded tactics. “Six years ago, a Republican majority used unconstitutional tricks to deny workers a pay raise and paid sick leave. Now, they’re trying to pull the rug out from under working families again. Every legislator who votes for this should be held accountable,” he said.
Collective bargaining ban for public sector employees signed into law (Audio)
KPCW
By Leslie Thatcher
Feb. 18, 2025
The latest Utah Legislative Report with KUER reporter Sean Higgins covers several key legislative bills including HB 267 which bans collective bargaining for public sector employees, HB 77 which restricts and allows certain flags to be displayed in schools and SB 277 which could limit public access to records.
Oregon union pushes for lawmakers to pass worker safety bills
Oregon Live
By Ben Botkin
Feb. 18, 2025
Oregon union leaders and workers said the state needs to put more safeguards in place to protect employees from harm when they work in dangerous jobs in corrections, behavioral health and others. They are backing several bills they say would help. Senate Bill 24, for example, would set minimum staffing standards for health care workers in prisons and another proposal not yet introduced would limit mandatory overtime for Oregon Department of Human Services workers in group homes. And Senate Bill 606 would broaden workers compensation benefits to automatically cover post-traumatic stress-related conditions for Oregon State Hospital employees and DHS group home workers.
Colorado Senate passes Worker Protection Act despite objections from business community
Colorado Politics
By Marissa Ventrelli
Feb. 18, 2025
Senate Bill 005, known as the Worker Protection Act, passed the Senate on a party-line vote Tuesday. However, the bill's future in the House and with the governor remains uncertain, as unions and the business community have yet to find a compromise. The bill aims to repeal the Colorado Labor Peace Act's requirement for a second election for employees to establish a "union security" agreement at their workplace. Once the company and the union agree, non-union workers would be required to pay a fee to the union. The bill passed on a 22-12 party-line vote and will move on to the House for a committee hearing.
IN THE STATES
Protestors gather at Wilmington City Hall, voice frustrations against Trump
WECT News 6
By Connor Smith
Feb. 18, 2025
Lynn Shoemaker, who helped organize the protest, said it was a way to give many people the chance to voice their opposition to the administration. “It dawned on me we had to turn the mic around. It was time for folks to have that opportunity, that platform to talk about their frustration and their fears,” said Shoemaker.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Survey reveals two-thirds of Oregon AFSCME have faced violence, threats in workplace
KOIN
By Jashayla Pettigrew
Feb. 18, 2025
An Oregon labor union has unveiled a damning report it hopes will urge lawmakers to back workplace safety measures. The Oregon chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees released its “Unsafe On the Job” report on Monday. It reveals the results of a survey more than 500 workers answered last fall.
Seattle City Council leaders discuss transit safety following bus violence
KIRO 7
By Ranji Sinha
Feb. 18, 2025
Greg Woodfill, one of the leaders of the Amalgamated Transit Union local chapter, spoke out during the council meeting, “We need to end the finger-pointing, and start working together. We need every city to take some responsibility for their citizen’s right to use — safely use — public transit!” Bus drivers have identified a few specific actions they believe would make both them and the ridership safer, such as better barriers separating them from riders and an updated, enforced code of conduct for riders. In the council meeting this morning, they said that when drivers call for help, help needs to come within minutes — not after 15 minutes. They also want fare enforcement and security measures at bus stops, such as more lighting.
LABOR HISTORY
Chicago's Pullman porters formed first all-Black labor union 100 years ago
Fox 32 Chicago
By Scott Schneider
Feb. 17, 2025
One hundred years ago, Chicago's Pullman porters who worked on the historic railway here helped form the first all-Black labor union in the U.S. In a FOX 32 special report, we take a look at how this move not only improved workers' rights but also their civil rights. After the Civil War, George Pullman wanted to hire formerly enslaved men to work on his trains as sleeping car porters. Some historians say that created economic advancement for newly emancipated African Americans and helped create the Black middle class.