Today's AFL-CIO press clips
SUPREME COURT
Supreme Court allows Trump to launch mass layoff and restructuring plans
The Washington Post
By Ann E. Marimow
July 8, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the Trump administration to launch plans for mass layoffs and reorganizations at 19 federal agencies and departments while litigation continues. The justices lifted a lower court order that temporarily blocked plans to fire thousands of federal workers, including at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Social Security Administration, because the administration did not first consult with Congress.
Supreme Court green-lights Trump’s order for mass firings across federal government
Politico
By Josh Gerstein and Hassan Ali Kanu
July 8, 2025
The groups that sued over the layoff plans — including several cities and counties, the American Federation of Government Employees and other federal worker unions — said in a statement that the ruling jeopardizes services that Americans rely on. “This decision does not change the simple and clear fact that reorganizing government functions and laying off federal workers en masse haphazardly without any congressional approval is not allowed by our Constitution,” the unions said.
Supreme Court allows Trump to resume mass federal layoffs for now
NPR
By Nina Totenberg and Anuli Ononye
July 8, 2025
The American Federation of Government Employees, the labor union that represents federal workers, and its coalition that sued the administration called the decision "a serious blow to our democracy." "This decision does not change the simple and clear fact that reorganizing government functions and laying off federal workers en masse haphazardly without any congressional approval is not allowed by our Constitution," the coalition said in a statement. "While we are disappointed in this decision, we will continue to fight on behalf of the communities we represent and argue this case to protect critical public services that we rely on to stay safe and healthy."
Supreme Court Clears Way for Mass Firings at Federal Agencies
The New York Times
By Abbie VanSickle
July 8, 2025
The Trump administration can move forward with plans to slash the federal work force and dismantle federal agencies, the Supreme Court announced on Tuesday. The decision could result in job losses for tens of thousands of employees at agencies including the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, State and Treasury. The order, which lifted a lower court’s ruling that had blocked mass layoffs, was unsigned and did not include a vote count. That is typical in such emergency applications. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote a public dissent.
Supreme Court Lets Trump Proceed With Broad Workforce Cuts
Bloomberg
By Greg Stohr and Zoe Tillman
July 8, 2025
The US Supreme Court let President Donald Trump move ahead with plans to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government, lifting a court order that had blocked 19 federal departments and agencies from slashing their workforces. Granting a Trump request over one dissent, the justices on Tuesday cleared the administration to implement Trump’s Feb. 11 executive order, which opponents say could cause hundreds of thousands of federal workers to lose their jobs. The Supreme Court decision will apply while litigation goes forward.
Supreme Court clears way for Trump to move forward with mass layoffs of federal workers
CBS News
By Melissa Quinn
July 8, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court order that blocked sweeping layoffs of federal workers at nearly two dozen agencies while a legal battle over President Trump's plans to drastically cut the size of the government moves forward. The high court's order clears the way for the Trump administration to resume its efforts to reorganize and scale back the federal government, which has been led by the White House's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The Justice Department turned to the Supreme Court for emergency relief after a federal judge in May ordered a halt to the job cuts and enforcement of other orders by DOGE to slash programs or staff.
Supreme Court clears the way for Trump’s plans to downsize the federal workforce
AP
By Mark Sherman
July 8, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily froze the cuts, which have been led by the Department of Government Efficiency. The court said in an unsigned order that no specific cuts were in front of the justices, only an executive order issued by Trump and an administration directive for agencies to undertake job reductions.
Supreme Court lets Trump pursue mass federal layoffs
Reuters
By John Kruzel
July 8, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for Donald Trump's administration to pursue mass government job cuts and the sweeping downsizing of numerous agencies, a decision that could lead to tens of thousands of layoffs while dramatically reshaping the federal bureaucracy. At Trump's direction, the administration has assembled plans to reduce staff at the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, Veterans Affairs and more than a dozen other agencies.
In 'Serious Blow to Our Democracy,' Supreme Court Allows Trump Mass Firing Order
Common Dreams
By Jessica Corbett
July 8, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a block on U.S. President Donald Trump's February executive order directing federal agency leaders to "promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force" and a related memorandum. In response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions, local governments, and nonprofits, Judge Susan Illston—appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by former President Bill Clinton—had issued a temporary restraining order and then a preliminary injunction, which was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in May.
Supreme Court allows Trump to fire federal workers
Axios
By Sareen Habeshian
July 8, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the Trump administration to fire federal workers. The big picture: The decision, which lifts a federal judge's earlier order freezing the cuts, gives the administration power to resume its goal of reshaping and scaling back federal agencies. It could lead to tens of thousands of people losing their jobs across government agencies like the Departments of State and Treasury.
Supreme Court backs Trump’s effort to dramatically reshape federal government for now
CNN
By John Fritze and Tami Luhby
July 8, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday backed President Donald Trump’s effort to carry out mass firings and reorganizations at federal agencies, putting on hold a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the president from taking those steps without approval from Congress. The decision is the latest in a series of significant wins for Trump at the Supreme Court, including an opinion making it more difficult to challenge executive orders and rulings backing the administration’s deportation policies.
POLITICS
Dan Osborn to Seek Pete Ricketts’s Nebraska Senate Seat, Stressing Class Issues
The New York Times
By Reid J. Epstein
July 8, 2025
Dan Osborn, a steamfitter and former labor leader from Nebraska who ran a surprisingly close campaign for a Senate seat as an independent last year, announced Tuesday that he would run for the Senate again in 2026. Mr. Osborn said in an interview that he would aim to draw a sharp contrast between his working-class background and the profile of Senator Pete Ricketts, the Republican incumbent, who is an heir to billions his father made in the financial services industry.
High case numbers could snarl federal employees who appeal their removals
Government Executive
By Sean Michael Newhouse
July 8, 2025
Apublic workers group on Monday warned that vacancies on a federal employees appeals board are poised to create, once again, a backlog in cases that could largely halt implementation of civil service laws. The Merit Systems Protection Board is led by a three-person panel that hears appeals to firings and other disciplinary actions that the federal government takes against civil servants.
EPA Employees Caught In ‘Frivolous Investigation’ After Criticizing Trump
HuffPost
By Dave Jamieson
July 8, 2025
Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents 8,000 agency employees, said the union was still waiting for the agency to provide a full list of the workers placed on leave. He called the administration’s move “retaliatory in nature” and a possible violation of federal whistleblower rights. “We believe this is a frivolous investigation and have demanded that these individuals be returned to regular [work] status,” Chen told HuffPost. He said sending a letter to the boss offering a critique of leadership was a matter of “protected speech.”
Trump considers taking over D.C. government, chides New York
Reuters
By Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason
July8, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was considering taking over governance of Washington, D.C., and suggested he could take similar action in New York because of his distaste for the leading candidate for mayor there. Trump has made a similar threat regarding Washington before, but has not followed through even as he criticized crime rates and bashed other institutions there.
Trump Got the Green Light to Fire Federal Workers. Now, They Wait.
The New York Times
By Eileen Sullivan and Chris Cameron
July 8, 2025
For weeks, thousands of federal employees have been waiting for the Supreme Court to make a decision about their continued employment with the government. On Tuesday, they got their answer: The Trump administration could move ahead with mass layoffs. The question of whether the layoffs are legal remains unanswered. For now, workers remain in limbo, this time waiting for their agencies to decide who stays, who goes and when.
IMMIGRATION
Labor Notes
By Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Sarah Lazare
July 8, 2025
It was the morning of June 9, and Genie Kastrup, president of Service Employees Local 1, stood in front of Chicago’s Daley Plaza and bellowed into a microphone. “What is happening right now is about silencing voices,” she said, flanked by members of her union holding signs that read “Free David Huerta.” “It's about dividing working people,” she continued. “It's about dividing our communities against the have and have nots. It is abusing power.”
TRADE
United Steelworkers pledge to hold Trump, Nippon, U.S. Steel accountable
The Contrarian
By David McCall
July 8, 2025
This is uncharted territory for members of the United Steelworkers (USW), who operate U.S. Steel’s mines in Minnesota and mills in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Our contract with U.S. Steel expires next year. At that point, we face the unusual prospect of bargaining a new agreement with an untested, foreign-owned juggernaut combining U.S. Steel’s longtime animus toward workers and Nippon’s repeated efforts to subvert America’s economy, with a divisive and mercurial president in the background.
LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY
Teachers union partners with Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI to launch AI-training academy
CBS News
By Mary Cunningham
July 8, 2025
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on Tuesday announced the fall launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million endeavor funded by Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI, three main players in the generative AI revolution. With the creation of the academy, leading artificial intelligence companies are stepping up their efforts to bring AI to schools across the U.S. OpenAI has committed to giving $10 million over five years, while Microsoft will provide $12.5 million. Anthropic, meanwhile, will contribute $500,000 the first year, said Andrew Crook, a spokesperson for the AFT.
ORGANIZING
AAUP-Penn calls on University to end ‘anti-union campaign’ in statements of solidarity with RAPUP
The Daily Pennsylvanian
By Alex Dash and Finn Ryan
July 8, 2025
The Executive Committee of Penn’s Chapter of the American Association of University Professors condemned Penn’s “anti-union campaign” against Research Associates and Postdocs United at Penn in a statement released Monday, ahead of the group’s vote to unionize. The July 7 statement from AAUP-Penn called on the University to uphold “the freedoms to teach, learn, study, assemble, and speak [that] are necessary to the integrity of higher education and to democracy itself.” AAUP-Penn also sent a public letter to Penn President Larry Jameson, Provost John Jackson Jr., and Director of Postdoctoral Affairs Marta Bartholomew, urging them to “implement a policy of neutrality in all union organizing drives at Penn.”
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
The Boston Globe
By Stephen Whyno
July 8, 2025
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have ratified their extension of the collective bargaining agreement, securing labor peace in the sport through 2030. The league and union announced in a joint news release Tuesday that the deal had been approved. It took a vote of the Board of Governors and the full NHLPA membership. “The partnership between the Players’ Association and the league is stronger than it ever has been, and working together under this agreement presents a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow the game,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are grateful to the Board of Governors for its support of this agreement that strengthens our game and ensures we are collectively delivering a great fan experience in the years to come.”
Video game actors are voting on a new contract. Here’s what it means for AI in gaming
AP
By Itzel Luna
July 8, 2025
An 11-month strike by video game performers could formally end this week if members ratify a deal that delivers pay raises, control over their likenesses and artificial intelligence protections. The agreement feels “like diamond amounts of pressure suddenly lifted,” said Sarah Elmaleh, a voice actor and chair of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ interactive branch negotiating committee. Union members have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific to vote on ratifying the tentative agreement.
No end in sight for Philadelphia union workers on strike
WHYY
By Tom MacDonald
July 8, 2025
Workers with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33 remain on strike as city and union negotiators still seem unwilling to settle their disagreement over a pay increase. While both sides have agreed to keep talking, a deal to end the more than weeklong strike still appears far away. DC33 President Greg Boulware said the union is offering a revised proposal to the city this time around.
Kroger, Albertsons reach tentative pact with Southern California labor groups
Grocery Dive
By Sam Silverstein
July 8, 2025
Labor unions representing more than 45,000 employees for Kroger and Albertsons in Southern California have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the grocers, the United Food and Commercial Workers locals bargaining on behalf of the workers announced last week. The deal, which is subject to approval by the workers, includes higher pay, larger pension contributions, health benefit and welfare improvements, and other changes. Workers will vote on the proposal over a three-day period that begins Wednesday.
Crouse employee union, hospital agree on new deal
Spectrum News 1
By Spectrum News Staff
July 8, 2025
Nearly two weeks after the contract expired, more than 2,000 Crouse Hospital Union employees and the hospital have agreed on a new contract. The agreement is subject to a SEIU Local 1199/United Healthcare Workers East member vote next Thursday. The last agreement, according to the union, was voted down in May. An SEIU 1199 official said the tentative deal improves wages for new and incoming staff, including long-term employees and nurses.
Health care workers in Stillwater begin 4-day unfair labor practice strike
CBS News
By Cole Premo
July 8, 2025
Health care workers in Stillwater, Minnesota, kicked off a four-day unfair labor practice strike Monday. Over 80 workers across multiple departments of the HealthPartners Stillwater Medical Group are represented by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa. Ninety-nine percent of the workers voted to strike if a deal could not be reached. Workers began a picket in front of the HealthPartners Clinic Stillwater facility in the morning and held a rally at noon.
DC 33, city to resume negotiations Tuesday as Philadelphia strike continues
CBS News
By Josh Sanders, Siafa Lewis, Madeleine Wright and Jessica MacAulay
July 8, 2025
Negotiations are set to continue Tuesday between AFSCME District Council 33 and Philadelphia city leaders, union president Greg Boulware said. It's still unclear where and when the negotiations will take place on Day 8 of the Philadelphia strike. One week into Philadelphia's largest municipal workers' union strike, and both sides remain dug in. DC 33 is fighting for higher wages and health care benefits for all its members. The union represents nearly 9,000 blue-collar city workers and is the largest blue-collar workers' union in the city. Members of DC 33 work within the sanitation and water departments, as well as in roles, including 911 dispatchers, crossing guards, morgue employees, airport staff and more.
Champaign County employees to strike Wednesday if no agreement is reached
WAND TV
By WAND Digital Team
July 7, 2025
Champaign County employees will strike Wednesday if no agreement on a new contract is reached. The workers, represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) filed an intent to strike June 30, with more than 96% voting to authorize a strike. “For too many of us, county wages aren’t living wages. They start at less than $16 an hour, and a third of all county workers make less than $20 an hour,” Cecelia Phillips, a Deputy Clerk in the Circuit Clerk’s office and president of AFSCME Local 900, said in a press release.
MCTS drivers union to vote this week on authorizing a strike
CBS 58
By A.J. Bayatpour
July 7, 2025
The union representing bus drivers for the Milwaukee County Transit System will hold a vote Wednesday on whether to authorize a strike. Bruce Freeman, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, told CBS 58 Monday he wanted to see where members stood amid negotiations that have been ongoing since late January and, in Freeman's view, have amounted to very little progress. "We're a long way from actually going on strike," Freeman said. "The strike vote is basically to check the temperature of the membership."
Unions and Kaleida Health reach tentative agreement
Buffalo-Toronto Public Media
By Ryan Zunner
July 8, 2025
A strike will be avoided at Kaleida Health after the region's largest healthcare provider agreed to a tentative labor deal. Union officials say terms of the deal were reached early this morning, just two hours before a strike authorization vote would have taken place. The three-year agreement covers nearly 8,000 workers who are represented by the Communications Workers of America and 1199 SEIU. The deal, which still needs approval from union membership, follows lengthy negotiations that included five contract extensions.
APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINING
Train Today, Build Tomorrow: IUPAT Powers Contractor Success
Construction Digital
By IUPAT
July 8, 2025
In today’s construction industry, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) is the only solution for contractors seeking a skilled and reliable workforce. The IUPAT offers a comprehensive apprenticeship programme and ongoing training for all represented workers within our crafts. Covering trades such as commercial and industrial painting, floor covering, glazing, and drywall finishing, IUPAT’s apprenticeship programme provides much more than trade skills - it builds careers for workers and sets the standards for training, safety and craftsmanship within our industry.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Workplace mental health at risk as key federal agency faces cuts
CBS News
By Aneri Pattani
July 8, 2025
"Private industry is going to provide what the people paying them want to provide," said a NIOSH employee and member of the American Federation of Government Employees union, currently on administrative leave, who was granted anonymity for fear of professional retaliation. Without federal attention on workplace mental health, "people may leave the workforce," she said. "Workers may die."
WAGE THEFT
D.C. hotel housekeepers will receive $215,000 in unpaid overtime settlement
The Washington Post
By Michael Brice-Saddler
July 8, 2025
Two related D.C.-area cleaning companies must pay $290,000 to resolve allegations that they sometimes failed to provide full overtime pay to hundreds of housekeepers since 2021, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said Tuesday. In a statement, Schwalb’s office said it launched an investigation into Cuzco Facilities Services and Mardone Inc., which does business as J&B Cleaning Services, after receiving a tip about suspected wage theft from the union that represents the region’s hotel workers, Unite Here Local 25. The two cleaning companies are legally considered to be a single employer because they have common ownership and management, Schwalb’s office said.
DC hotel housekeepers to receive $215K in unpaid overtime settlement: AG
WJLA
By Ida Domingo
July 8, 2025
More than 300 hotel housekeepers in D.C. will receive a total of $215,000 in restitution and damages after two cleaning companies were accused of failing to pay proper overtime wages, according to D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb. Schwalb announced Tuesday that Mardone Inc. (doing business as J&B Cleaning Services) and Cuzco Facilities Services, LLC, will pay a total of $290,000 to settle the allegations.
RETIREMENT SECURITY
IAFF share New Hampshire firefighters pension restoration
Fire & Safety Journal Americas
By Isabelle Crow
July 8, 2025
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has shared how more than $200 million in pension benefit restoration will be heading to New Hampshire firefighters, thanks to the efforts of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire (PFFNH). The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed legislation that included key provisions to restore pension benefits to Tier B Group II members. The bill now goes to the desk of Governor Kelly Ayotte (R), who is expected to sign it into law. According to the IAFF, the win is the culmination of a 14-year effort from the PFFNH, who fought tirelessly to restore Great Recession-era cuts to firefighter pension benefits.