AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the new litigation filed by affiliated unions of the AFL-CIO that are challenging the Trump administration’s executive order which aimed to strip collective bargaining rights from hundreds of thousands of federal workers:
The Trump administration’s union-busting executive order breaks federal law with an alarming and dangerous escalation of attacks on our most fundamental freedoms. This retaliation is a direct attack on the working people who make sure our food is safe to eat, care for our veterans and protect us from public health emergencies. But if the Trump administration gets away with robbing federal workers of their right to collective bargaining with the stroke of a pen, it won’t stop there. This illegal executive order is a threat to every union, every contract, and the freedom for every single person to organize on the job and speak up for themselves and their co-workers.
This administration wants to silence anyone who fights back—but we aren’t going anywhere, and the country is on our side. There are 70% of Americans and nearly 9 in 10 young people who support unions. The AFL-CIO and its nearly 15 million workers are proud to stand with America’s unions as they take the Trump administration to court today. The labor movement is no stranger to fights like these, and with the solidarity of the American people, we have no intention of backing down from this one.
Contact: Mia Jacobs, 202-637-5018