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Trump follows in Reagan's footsteps, as the president is attempting to eradicate American unions...
Labor Day in the US this year has not come with celebrations for unions. The reason is a frontal attack by President Donald Trump on organized federal workers.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order restricting the rights of nearly a million federal unionized workers, including at agencies like the National Weather Service and NASA, citing “national security concerns.” Earlier this year, another order targeted unions at the Departments of State, Defense, Justice and Health.
This is a dramatic turnaround for the American labor movement, which under the Joe Biden administration had taken off with strikes and major contract victories, from the Detroit auto industry to the East Coast ports to Hollywood. Biden has been called the most pro-union president in American history, even becoming the first to join a ground strike in 2023.
But Trump is turning the tables. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, told CNN: “This is the biggest attack on the labor movement in our history.” What happens to federal workers today could become a model for private corporations tomorrow, she said.
Attack on the heart of the trade union movement
Nearly half of union members in the US work in the public sector, while only 6 percent of private sector workers are organized. This makes the public sector the “heart” of American unionism and a key target of Trump.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, warned that the president is using federal workers as a "test case," sending a signal to the private sector: "Do the same, we support you."
The latest order not only strips federal employees of their right to collective bargaining, but also stops the automatic collection of union dues from paychecks. As a result, AFGE has been forced to lay off about a third of its staff.
A dangerous déjà vu: from Reagan to Trump
The move harks back to 1981, when President Ronald Reagan fired all American air traffic controllers after their union went on strike. At the time, the move irreversibly weakened union power in the US.
Schuler warns that today's case is even more serious: "If with one signature the bargaining rights of almost a million people are destroyed, then we have a problem that affects the entire movement."
Unions prepare for legal and social battle
Federal labor organizations have filed dozens of lawsuits challenging Trump's orders, but court decisions so far have been mixed and no cases have been settled. However, union leaders say they will continue the fight in the courts and, if necessary, in the private sector.
Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, warns: “If public and private employers think it's 'open season' to destroy unions, they are sorely mistaken. Workers are angry. We are not going away. We are getting stronger.” /Adapted from “CNN”
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