February Newsletter – The future of the labor movement is in our hands
Dear friends:
Working people are under attack nationwide, and Illinois is not immune from the Trump administration’s harmful actions.
In the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed an all-out assault on government workers and critical resources that we rely on. The labor movement is standing up to unelected, unchecked CEOs like Elon Musk who are trying to chop up our government and sell it for parts.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump are cutting workers and programs without any thought to their impact on the lives of Americans. By ignoring input from workers, they are creating chaos rather than efficiency. They’ve fired Illinois Environmental Protection Agency workers who ensure we have clean water to drink, Federal Aviation Administration engineers and maintenance staff who keep us safe while flying, and Veterans Affairs nurses, doctors and staff that help our brave soldiers get the care they need, including AFGE members who staff the Veterans Crisis Line, a suicide prevention hotline.
Musk and Trump tried to roll back all federal grant funding to states, putting many of our state and municipal workers represented by AFSCME and other unions at risk. As Governor Pritzker mentioned in his budget address, the Trump administration cut off funding for Illinois’ food safety inspectors – represented by IFT – for nearly a month, impacting more than 70 meat and poultry facilities. While some of these funds have been reinstated, the uncertainty of future funding harms our communities.
Because of Musk and Trump, our world-class, public education institutions like the University of Illinois are under siege, as well as early childhood and K-12 education. They are pushing to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, which would eliminate funding for programs like individual aides and after-school programs for disabled students, reading and math instructional support staff for low-income and rural students, and even career and technical programs.
DEI policies promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people and equal pay for equal work. The policies reflect the core ethos of the labor movement, but are being vilified to justify cuts to the essential work of government. Disguised as an attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, Musk and Trump have led a slash-and-burn effort to unilaterally reduce funding for programs already authorized by U.S. Congress, such as the arts, public health, disaster relief, assistance for seniors, or services for children with disabilities.
In Illinois, many of our renowned institutions like the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Chicago Symphony Orchestra are now facing funding losses and potential job cuts because of these policies. In these workplaces, there are often collective bargaining agreements in place that encourage a welcoming space for all workers and audience members. Yet due to changes in National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) guidelines under the Trump administration, significant funding losses and potential job cuts are on the chopping block.
Our best bet for fighting back and beating the Trump agenda is a strong labor movement. Organized labor is on the frontlines, from suing the administration to blocking Elon Musk from accessing your personal, private data and challenging the illegal firings of National Labor Relations Board members and much more.
If you have been impacted by the recent executive orders from the White House, share your story here. The AFL-CIO wants to hear from you, and how these policies impact your jobs, families and communities.
We also encourage you to sign up for the Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWL) updates to stay aware of cuts coming from the White House and what you can do to take action.
The labor movement has weathered challenging times before, and together, we can come together in solidarity to support each other and ensure we stand strong.
Illinois has long been a beacon for freedom of expression and worker organizing — it is what our labor movement was built on. From the Haymarket Affair in 1886 spurred by the fight for the eight-hour day, to the Pullman railroad strike in 1894 over corporate greed and poverty, to the Memorial Day Massacre during the “Little Steel” strikes in 1937, our rich labor history has been built on the exchange of ideas, dedication and diversity of workers.
Unions are rallying to show that we are not scared and mobilizing to stand up for ALL workers. It’s going to take all of us fighting at every level, in every arena, to protect our rights, our contracts and our government.
In solidarity,
Tim Drea, President and Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer
Read the rest of the updates from our February newsletter here
