WHEREAS, federal and D.C. government employees are Americans who are called upon to deliver critical support to our troops, care for our veterans and work to enhance the lives of fellow Americans; and
WHEREAS, these public employees are our neighbors in towns and cities across America; and
WHEREAS, these good people contribute mightily to the fabric of our society and our democracy; and
WHEREAS, like their fellow working families across America, these public employees deserve respect and fair treatment on the job, especially when it comes to adequate protections to prevent the taking away of one’s livelihood for unjust reasons; and
WHEREAS, American citizens are protected against corrupt government when public employees cannot be fired for unjust reasons; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration have taken away the standard of just cause for VA employees in 2017; and
WHEREAS, legislation has been introduced in Congress to take away the standard of just cause for all employees in the federal government; and
WHEREAS, the principles of fair treatment and just cause for all workers are interwoven and are being threatened by these actions of the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration; and
WHEREAS, these—the principles of fair treatment and just cause—must not be allowed to be undermined or denied to these workers;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the AFL-CIO opposes the further enactment of laws to prevent workers’ livelihoods from being taken from them without just cause, and joins AFGE in working to restore the principles of fair treatment and just cause for VA employees.