AFGE and other AFL-CIO and unions representing workers across private and public sector industries sued the Trump administration over its dismantling of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), including firing mediators and staff, and closing field offices across the country.
FMCS is a small but important independent federal agency that is integral to the government’s labor relations infrastructure. FMCS provides meditation, training, and facilitation to resolve disagreements between employers and unions. The services it provides protect both the economy and workers’ rights, generating over $500 million in national economic savings each year even by conservative estimates.
But Trump’s cuts have decimated the agency: 93% of FMCS staff have been placed on leave, the mediation workforce has been taken down from the 80-100 needed for the agency’s work to just five, and all of the field offices have been closed. If Trump gets his way and the damaged is not reversed, unions and employers will no longer have a neutral, third party to help resolve disputes in bargaining.
“The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is a small but mighty agency that directly benefits the U.S. economy by helping to resolve costly and disruptive labor disputes in the public and private sectors. Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to abolish FMCS have nothing to do with saving taxpayers money and everything to do with gutting workers’ union rights and protections. It’s shameful, it’s wasteful, and it must be stopped,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley.
The unions’ suit argues that the administration’s actions are illegal under the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution because they amount to an effective dismantling of FMCS that has prevented it from performing its statutory responsibilities required by Congress.
In a major victory for AFGE and allies, a district court judge May 9 issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking President Trump’s unconstitutional reorganization of the federal government.
Read More
House Republicans are pursuing at least $50 billion in cuts to Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) benefits to help pay for a $4.5 trillion package of tax cuts that would primarily benefit the rich and large corporations, a priority for President Trump.
Read More
Week 16 saw Trump laying off thousands of workers at Interior and Labor and planning to let go 80,000 VA employees taking care of veterans.
Read More
