New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, March 22, over 100 New Orleanians gathered at Congo Square downtown for a march to fight against Trump’s attacks on federal workers. The demonstration brought together at least ten different unions across the city in coalition with community organizations, building a broad united front against Trump’s attacks on labor.

“I’ve been a labor activist in this city for a few years and this is the fastest I’ve seen unions endorse anything. People are riled up and ready to fight,” said Abbey Lodwig, one of the march organizers and member of the Association of Flight Attendants union.

Tens of thousands of workers have already been fired because of billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” taking aim at unionized federal employees. Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion and cuts on federal grants have dramatically affected the public sector workers in New Orleans.

“Privatization is an attack on everything we’ve fought for and won. It’s an attack on the people,” said Emma Maxwell, a contract employee with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The NOAA helps forecast weather and manage fisheries, among other functions important to the Gulf South. Maxwell reported massive layoffs in the NOAA due to cuts in federal funding, forcing operations with far less people and resources.

The crowd took the streets chanting “Get up, get down, New Orleans is a union town!” and “Let’s go workers, don’t give up. Let’s go workers, elbows up!” as they stopped the flow of downtown traffic. Union members marched with signs held high, demanding Trump “Stop the war on America’s workforce.”

Serena Sojic-Borne, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, helped to close out the demonstration with a fiery speech, stating, “The system we live under has no right to exist and it is long past its expiration date!” as the crowd cheered.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #FederalEmployees

The Labor Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns Trump and his accomplice Elon Musk for the callous attacks on federal workers.

As it stands, tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired or laid off. The terminations have been carried out in the most callous way possible. The exact number is unclear because of the chaos that has accompanied the process. Unexpected late-night emails. Text messages telling workers to take their things and go home. And President Trump taking to social media to mock those facing hardship. None of this is reasonable or okay or acceptable.

For those of us active in the labor movement, this is a ‘canary in the coal mine’ kind of time. It’s a test that we cannot fail. It is vital that all organized labor rally in the support of the federal workers unions, like the American Federation of Government Employees, and insist contracts are honored and the layoffs are rolled back. To that end, we must insist our unions stand with the federal workers. Unions leaders like Teamsters President Sean O'Brien are mistaken when they say we should wait and see what happens.

In 1981, President Reagan upended the course of U.S. labor relations when he fired 11,000 striking aircraft controllers. Today is that kind of moment. Trump is threatening to privatize postal workers. There are attacks on the National Labor Relations Board. And of course, there are tens of thousands of federal workers who will not be getting a paycheck this week. Complacency cannot be the order of the day.

Many of us who are active trade unionists have friends and acquaintances who are members or leaders of federal worker unions. We should urge them to hold protests and take other actions. This is a concern of every union member, and we should join any resistance to these attacks. An injury to one is an injury to all. The attack on federal workers can, must, and will be defeated!

#Labor #Statement #FRSO #AFGE #FederalEmployees #Trump #Layoffs