What to expect from the new administration

As the saying goes, “elections have consequences.” The early weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency have already shown impactful consequences for workers’ rights and unions, most of which are negative.
Besides calling for controversial plans such as buying Greenland, annexing Canada, seizing the Panama Canal, and transforming the Gaza Strip into a U.S.-owned tourist destination, the president has signed hundreds of executive orders that strip rights from transgender individuals, target immigrants, and close agencies. President Trump imposed a 10% tariff on China and levied—and quickly rescinded—even larger tariffs on Mexico and Canada, our largest trading partners. “The IAM supports tariffs when used properly, but the proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods imported to the U.S. will result in job losses, increased prices, and a variety of other negative impacts,” said the union in a statement.

Unions fight back

The AFL-CIO launched a campaign called the Department of People Who Work for a Living, a play on Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “Government can work for billionaires or it can work for working people — but not both,” Liz Shuler, the AFL-CIO president, said in a statement. “Rejecting federal workers’ collective bargaining agreements is union busting, plain
and simple. These attempts to break our contracts will not silence our voices.”

In February, the AFL-CIO and the federal employee unions sued DOGE in hopes of preventing the rogue agency from “raiding” the Department of Labor and gaining access to the personal information of potentially millions of American workers. Unions have also held demonstrations at numerous agencies that DOGE is attempting to undermine.

To get involved in labor’s fightback, join the AFL-CIO at deptofpeoplewhowork.org.