Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Union Busting at Voice of America, USAGM
AFSCME, AFGE say move to strip workers of their collective bargaining rights is attempt by administration to silence their First Amendment rights
WASHINGTON – The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) today sued President Trump and others in his administration over his Aug. 28 executive order stripping employees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and its Voice of America (VOA) of their collective bargaining rights.
In their complaint, the unions argue that the administration’s union-busting action is a direct attempt to prevent the agency’s employees – who are journalists and other media professionals – and their unions from exercising their First Amendment rights by pursuing litigation and filing grievances to challenge the administration’s closure and dismantlement of USAGM and VOA. The employees are represented by AFGE Local 1812 and AFSCME Local 1418.
"The dedicated professionals at Voice of America and USAGM have made it their life’s work to champion free press and deliver the truth — even to the world’s most oppressive regimes,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “When their own government sought to undermine this vital mission, they stood firm, not only to protect free speech for themselves, but for everyone. Now, in a blatant attempt to silence them, the administration has stripped away their freedom to collectively bargain and illegally tore up their union contracts — contracts that safeguard their jobs, livelihoods and their voices. This executive action is a clear act of retaliation, aimed at punishing workers who refuse to let the Voice of America be silenced. We will not stand by and let this administration continue to trample on our constitutional freedoms.”
“From suppressing Americans protesting his policies to targeting news outlets and late-night talk show hosts over unfavorable coverage, President Trump has a documented history of trying to silence the free speech rights that are a cornerstone of our constitution and our democracy,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said.
“Now his administration is going after working journalists at Voice of American and USAGM by stripping away their right to organize and speak up without fear of retaliation,” Kelley said. “Revoking these workers’ union rights is a clear attempt to chill their speech and weaken their independent reporting – and it’s a warning to federal workers at other agencies that they could be next.”
In March, AFSCME and AFGE joined with other unions and agency employees in suing USAGM, its Acting Director Victor Morales, and Special Adviser Kari Lake over the unlawful shuttering of the agency. In April, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction forcing the administration to restart operations and return employees to their jobs. The administration appealed the decision to the D.C. Circuit, which granted a stay allowing the administration to restart its reduction-in-force efforts. AFGE and AFSCME then both raised objections to the RIF, which resulted in the RIFs being rescinded based on errors identified by the unions. AFSCME and AFGE also continued their efforts in the district court to enforce the still-active part of the injunction requiring Voice of America to broadcast, culminating in the court issuing an order on August 25 requiring three high-ranking agency officials, including Kari Lake, to sit for depositions that the court described as “one final opportunity, short of a contempt trial,” to explain what actions they were taking to comply with the injunction. Soon thereafter, on Aug. 28, Trump issued an executive order expanding the agencies he excluded from collective bargaining in March to include USAGM and VOA.
In the new complaint, the unions are asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to issue a preliminary injunction restoring workers’ collective bargaining rights.