President Donald Trump declared war on the civil service on his first day in office, and AFGE has been taking on the Trump administration from Day 1 to make sure civil servants can continue to serve the American people and support our communities.
Here’s a recap of our major actions so far:
- Legally binding contracts. For years, AFGE has prepared our locals to protect members in the event a future president tried to politicize the federal workforce. Our council and local leaders have put in place several safeguards against politicization of the workforces and the work our members do in negotiated, legally-binding contracts.
- Lawsuits. AFGE has so far filed three lawsuits against the Trump administration. The first one was for violating a law requiring that an advisory committee such as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) be fairly balanced in its membership and points of view. The second one was for his efforts to politicize the civil service through Schedule F. The third one was for sharing confidential data with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk.
- EO toolkit. AFGE has just released a toolkit for members and locals to use in response to Trump’s anti-worker executive orders. The toolkit includes guidance and templates and will be updated regularly.
- Online clearing house. AFGE and allies have launched an online clearing house to share best practices and provide assistance to federal workers in understanding and exercising their rights. Civil Service Strong provides information about employee rights, legal representation, whistleblowing, and more. It explains the process to file a discrimination complaint through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the role of the Merit Systems Protection Board in protecting the civil service from political interference and upholding merit principles. The resource center will soon launch a centralized hub for individuals facing harassment by private individuals, or fearing firing, reassignment, or retaliation.
- Legislative efforts. AFGE has been educating members of Congress on the real-world impact of Trump’s anti-worker directives on federal workers and the American people they serve in the hopes that they will work to nullify them through legislation. After Election Day, we began tracking statements and policy positions related to the federal workforce issued by President-elect Trump, congressional leaders, and think tanks supporting the incoming administration and gaming out the potential scope and impact of changes that the Trump administration and the 119th Congress could seek to make to the federal workforce. We expect the next 18 months to pose the gravest threat to the nonpartisan, merit-based civil service system since the system was established in 1883 and revised in the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. We have also been working closely with our allies on Capitol Hill, in both the Republican and Democratic parties, to protect federal workers’ jobs, pay, and benefits.
- Public responses. AFGE continues to educate the public about the impact of these anti-worker policies on federal employees and the American people who rely on them to provide the services they have paid for and deserve. AFGE leaders have been giving interviews to the media and have been quoted extensively on the danger of these policies.
- Town halls. We held and participated in town halls sharing best practices on responding to the Eos.
Want to make us even stronger?
Trump’s anti-worker directives have driven federal workers to join AFGE. Be part of our movement to protect the civil service and merit systems and join us today!