President Trump’s Attacks:
A Weekly Guide to President Trump’s Anti-Labor Activity
July 29
Another Judge Prevents Trump from Eradicating Union Contracts
Last week, a federal judge in Texas stated that the Trump administration could no longer continue to eradicate collective bargaining agreements for Department of Defense employees in Texas, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
As stated in the ruling, the Trump administration lacks the legal standing to pursue the case filed against AFGE. This decision came after an earlier decision from a Kentucky judge in which, the judge ruled that the Trump administration filed its complaint too soon to properly litigate the legality of President Donald Trump‘s March executive order stripping collective bargaining rights for government workers in over 40 agencies and subagencies.
Previously, judges in California and in DC, prevented Trump from canceling labor contracts, finding that the government likely violated federal law. However, the the District of Columbia and Ninth Circuit appeals courts stayed those injunctions.
Trump May have Illegally Withheld Funds
The Trump administration has withheld billions of dollars in congressionally approved funds, including funds for Head Start, a federal grant program that funds pre-kindergarten services for low-income families. The legality of these decisions to withhold funding has come under question by a federal watchdog, known as the Government Accountability Office (G.A.O.) as reported by the New York Times and Reuters.
Seeking to end the multiple investigations, Republican lawmakers and the Whitehouse are targeting the office, which keeps tabs on all federal spending, primarily on enforcing a law that prohibits the president from defying congressional instructions on spending. By indiscriminately cutting agencies and programs, without congressional approval, Trump may have violated this law.
According to the G.A.O., this wouldn't be the first time that the president has disregarded the rules. The G.A.O. has already determined twice that Trump violated rules that prevent him from canceling funding without proper approval. The office has as many as 46 open investigations into canceled funds for foreign aid, climate investments, public-health and education grants, and Head Start, according to internal documents from June viewed by The New York Times.
In the Hopes of further Shrinking the USDA Trump is Forcing Thousands of Workers to Relocate
Trump Seeks to disrupt the federal workforce once again. This time he is forcing thousands of U.S. Agriculture Department workers to relocate from Washington, D.C., to offices as far away as Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah, as reported by Politico.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, said the department currently has around 4,600 workers in the D.C. area, but after the relocation, the department estimates that the number will shrink to “no more than 2,000” left in D.C. It also expects to close most of its buildings in the area, including a major research center.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, spoke of the damage that the relocation demands would have on the department.
“D.C. is the center of our nation’s government for a reason, as it facilitates needed coordination between senior leadership and field offices and ensures agencies [have a seat at the table] when decisions are made at the White House and in Congress,” Kelley said.
Together, we will continue to fight for our union values and fundamental rights by educating our members with the facts that they need to know in the upcoming November 4 election. To rise to meet the moment, we will continue to empower everyone to mobilize like never before, to ensure that all working people in our state make their voices heard. Lest we forget, President Trump has jeopardized the right of federal workers to collectively bargain, dismantled the Department of Education, and prevented the NRLB from functioning. To read all of our Trump attacks messages, click here.
