On Tuesday Nov. 3, the American people will finish an election season where we exercised our right to elect our own leaders. By choosing our own leadership, we, the voters, shape public policy and decide the course of our future, including the future of the labor movement.
Just like our union exists to protect the merit systems, ensure justice, equality, and lift up workers’ voices – we can achieve these same goals with our vote.
By electing leaders who share our union’s values, like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we can make sure researchers, scientists, doctors, nurses, and other public servants have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.
How you vote is your decision, but as your union, our job is to keep you informed and provide verifiable facts to help you make your own decision. AFGE supports candidates who support federal workers and the work they do.
Here are the top 10 reasons Trump has been a failure for federal employees:
- In May 2018, he issued 3 executive orders aimed at taking away federal workers’ rights to fair treatment and a voice in the workplace.
- In October 2020, he issued another executive order aimed at stripping hundreds of thousands of federal workers of due process, legal rights and protections. This means these employees could be fired with little or no cause.
- In February 2020, he issued a memo authorizing the Secretary of Defense to unilaterally strip the Department of Defense’s 750,000 civilian employees of collective bargaining rights.
- Over the past few years, his administration has torn up negotiated union contracts and replaced them with unilateral management edicts that make a mockery of the collective bargaining process.
- For each of his first three years, he proposed pay freezes and benefit cuts for federal employees that were overridden with bipartisan Congressional support.
- Despite constant boasting about the strength of the economy and a $1.7 trillion dollar tax cut, President Trump tried to cut federal workers’ benefits in his budget proposals.
- He has repeatedly challenged or dismissed federal scientists and health experts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2019 his administration caused many USDA scientists and researchers to resign by forcing their relocation from Washington to Kansas City.
- He has proposed slashing the number of correctional officers in our federal prisons while encouraging private corporations to profit from incarcerating more citizens – putting more officers at risk of harm.
- His administration issued furlough notices to 13,400 USCIS workers. Without our union’s and Congress’ intervention, the administration would have already furloughed these employees.
- Trump has threatened to veto legislation that would grant TSA officers equal status under Title 5, give officers expanded bargaining rights, and improve their pay.
You have the power to vote out candidates who are going after you!
Let’s send candidates who support AFGE members and working people in general to Congress and the White House!
Visit AFGE’s Election Center 2020 for voting info and share your support for our cause on social media.