But Russell Vought, the White House’s point man on Project 2025, wants you to disbelieve what you see.  

To hear the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) say it, there’s no coordination between the White House and the authors of that anti-worker agenda. As Vought put it to CNN over the weekend: “No, of course not!”  

Yeah. We believe you, Russ.  

Vought is one of the principal authors of Project 2025.  

As head of OMB, his job is to execute Donald Trump’s cruel plans for the way the federal government should operate.  

Vought’s own vision for mass federal layoffs and firings is becoming real as Elon Musk’s cronies at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency goes on a reckless downsizing spree.  

But Vought wants you to believe all this fake news. That it’s just a coincidence that so much of Project 2025 has already been put in place.  

Remember how Trump denied even knowing about Project 2025 during his campaign for president? Trump is a honest guy, isn’t he?  

Seriously, though, AFSCME members cannot ignore what’s happening right in front of us. Because, as we warned last summer, Project 2025 calls for eliminating public service unions like AFSCME.  

Trump and his allies have plenty of time left to implement the rest of their blueprint, which is a list of all the ways to harm working families, shred public services and destroy labor unions. 

We must fight back. Through our Get Organized campaign, AFSCME members are taking action to protect public services and the well-being of our communities. 

Join the fight. It’s time to GO! 

About $500 billion in cuts.

It’s a substantial number, but what does it mean? 

It means nearly 70 million older Americans, low-income adults and people with disabilities would find it harder to access health care. Medicare recipients may find it harder to locate doctors and hospitals or keep their current physicians.  

We know the House-passed bill takes a sledgehammer to Medicaid, the food assistance program known as SNAP, and other crucial programs. The cuts to Medicare benefits are hidden. Though they are not specified in the bill, the Medicare cuts would be triggered by the $2.3 trillion in deficits that the legislation would create.  

Why? Because of a law that requires automatic cuts to programs like Medicare if Congress passes legislation that blows such a giant hole in the federal deficit. 

The cuts to Medicare and Medicaid would reduce access to medical care for millions of Americans. For instance, these cuts would make it harder for struggling community hospitals, especially in rural America, to survive.  

These cuts will hurt more than just the people who are on Medicare. Their families will struggle to care for them. Working people who receive health insurance from their employers may face higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs. That’s because doctors and hospitals may try to charge them more to make up the difference if Medicare pays them less.  

We must stop this cruel bill from passing the Senate. Text GO to 237263 to get alerts and learn how you can join the fight and Get Organized. 

Frustrated with not having a strong enough voice, the workers at Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library dissolved their previous staff association and recently joined forces with CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000. CSEA represents over 250,000 workers across New York state and is AFSCME’s largest affiliate union. 

Now, they feel the power.  

“We were lions without any teeth, and now we are lions with teeth,” Thomas said.  

The workers are celebrating after winning voluntary recognition of the new union they formed through CSEA.  

After repeatedly being disrespected and feeling like they had no voice on the job, they knew they needed to build power and fight back. But when the director of their library decided to implement a new employee manual without staff input or approval, the workers knew it was time for a change. 

After researching and meeting with other unions, the workers decided to organize with CSEA. The theme of their organizing drive — a play off the Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library acronym — was, “Having Knowledge Develops Power Longer-term for Everybody.”  

In just a few months, workers quickly amassed majority support for a new union with CSEA. On May 5, they delivered a letter to Library Director Claudia Depkin seeking voluntary recognition of their new union.  

Less than two weeks later, the library board granted them voluntary recognition. That happened during a board meeting where the workers, joined by CSEA members and staff, packed the room and remained until a decision was announced. 

Those concerns focused on how dangerous cuts to the federal budget could affect SNAP, New Mexico families and AFSCME members in that state. Those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and state health care leaders also participated in Wednesday’s roundtable. 

The event comes as the House of Representatives voted to pass an extreme budget that will shift much of the cost of providing SNAP benefits onto states. The budget will also make disastrous cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and more — all so billionaires rake in huge tax breaks. The budget bill is now with the U.S. Senate.  

Luján stressed the far-reaching impact of these cuts. 

“If this budget passes and these cuts to SNAP, Medicaid and other programs go through, it impacts all of us,” he said. “Even if we’re not direct beneficiaries of those programs, it will affect all of us one way or another.” 

Nationally, 41 million Americans were fed by SNAP in 2024. One in five kids receives meals through SNAP.  

Victoria Leonard, a family assistant analyst and member of AFSCME Local 2777, said that rollbacks to SNAP would be catastrophic. 

“You’re talking about children who will go hungry, the elderly who will go hungry, families who won’t be able to put enough food on the table for themselves.” 

Another AFSCME member, Kevin Touchton, also a family assistant analyst, described the dangerous ripple effect that cuts to SNAP would have. 

“I work with a lot of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren by themselves and who rely on these benefits,” he said. “And if they lose these benefits for their grandchildren, it can negatively impact any other benefits they rely on. These programs are really essential.” 

Connie Derr, executive director of Council 18, described the powerful relationship that forms between AFSCME members and the clients they serve.  

“The situation around the federal budget has been very difficult on the workers who provide these essential services,” she said. “Our members work with their clients very closely and know every circumstance that’s led to them seeking assistance, so they know exactly how they are going to impact New Mexico’s most vulnerable families.” 

To make your voice heard, contact your members of Congress and tell them to oppose cuts to vital programs like SNAP to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.   

To learn more and stay involved, join AFSCME GO at afscmego.org. 

On May 28, OAPSE’s nonprofit arm, OAPSE Making a Difference (OMAD), distributed meal and snack bags to students in Akron Public Schools. The effort is part of OAPSE members’ broader mission to support the communities they serve daily. 

“Being able to help the children we serve where the need is so high makes me so proud of my union and the entire OAPSE family,” said OAPSE President Lois Carson. “Members of OAPSE will continue to help the community every chance we can.” 

OAPSE members created OMAD to address critical needs among students and working families across Ohio. This week’s meal distribution in Akron is the latest example of how union members respond to those in need through direct action. 

The effort also comes at a critical time for the nation. The budget bill approved by the House of Representatives is likely to force more school students to go hungry. Massive cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will increase hunger across America so billionaires can enjoy bigger tax cuts.  

“The poverty rate is double in Akron compared to the state average, and there are so many food-insecure children in the district,” said Sheila Dawkins-Flinn, OAPSE state secretary and chairwoman of the OMAD program. “We are doing what we can to help the children we serve.” 

More information about OMAD is available at oapse.org/oapse-making-a-difference. 

“For many of us, the decision to unionize came from a shared need to build a more secure, more productive workplace,” said Roman. “We care about the museum’s mission, and we’re excited to have the tools, protocol and staffing to do that work well.” 

Earlier this spring, workers at the Seaport Museum came together to form a union through AFSCME Local 397 (District Council 47). Nine out of 10 eligible workers voted for a union. And it became the fifth represented museum in the  Philly Cultural Workers United group.  

The unionization campaign — announced in early April — gained momentum quickly thanks to strong support among eligible employees. Workers talked between tours, before and after shifts, and in moments throughout the day to discuss the difference a union could make. 

“We didn’t need to convince people — most of us already believed in what we were doing,” said Roman. “It was about keeping communications consistent, open and honest.” 

Many workers hope Independence Seaport Museum Workers United will help address long-standing challenges. That includes limited staffing, the need for safety improvements aboard historic ships, and pay raises that reflect the rising cost of living. 

“We’re proud of the work we do and the stories we help tell,” said Donovan Borger, a public engagement assistant. “Forming a union is our way of establishing a commitment —not just between management and employees, but to the museum’s future.” 

The Seaport Museum team joins a strong network of cultural workers across the city, united by their dedication to their communities and the power of their collective voice. 

“We’re stronger together,” said Borger. “And ISM workers want to do their part in that fight.” 

Next, the new union will begin the process of negotiating a contract.  

Seaport Museum workers are among the many AFSCME members nationwide organizing and leveraging their powers to win a voice on the job.  

AFSCME Cultural Workers United is leading the largest organizing movement for workers at the nation’s libraries, museums, zoos and other cultural institutions. CWU represents 45,000 workers at cultural institutions, more than any other union.  

In March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Trump administration stopped collecting on student loan debt.  

This pause lasted until October 2023, when Joe Biden was president. But the Biden administration refused to collect on borrowers who defaulted, giving them room to breathe. 

Now the Trump administration is sucking the air out of the room.  

Earlier this month, the Department of Education began collecting on defaulted student loan debt. Borrowers must make payments or risk the federal government coming after their Social Security checks.  

Although most student loan borrowers are of working age, nearly 3 million are 62 or older. Some 452,000 of them were in default. 

One way the Trump administration will come after borrowers who default is by withholding tax refunds. Another way is by garnishing Social Security payments. This is part of a federal collections program.  

Retirees who rely on Social Security and default on their student loan payments may see smaller Social Security payments.  

Federal law allows Social Security benefits above $750 per month to be garnished. That monthly amount ($9,000 a year) would put a person below the federal poverty level ($15,650 per year for one person). 

Why is that unfair, you might be wondering? If you took out a loan, shouldn’t you repay it? 

Yes, but many student loan borrowers, especially those nearing retirement, have been paying back their loans for decades. They’ve paid the principal loan amount many times over, but keep falling behind because of high interest and fees. 

Biden tried to help many of these borrowers through a loan forgiveness program. But the Supreme Court struck it down in 2023.  

Seniors with student loan debt will have to make payments or risk losing their hard-earned Social Security benefits. And they’re unlikely to get any sympathy from this White House.

This economic support specialist connects people in Dane County, Wisconsin, with food assistance and Medicaid. He traveled to Washington D.C., this week to fight a cruel budget bill that anti-union extremists are pushing on Capitol Hill.  

The Council 32 member told House members to reject the bill because it would gut food assistance, Medicaid and public services. It would hurt the very people he serves and his community.  

All to give massive tax breaks to billionaires. 

As he spoke up for his community during Capitol Hill meetings, Martinez kept seeing the faces of the people he connects with food assistance through SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.  

The single mom having a hard time paying her bills. The working households struggling to feed their children at dinner time. The laid-off workers who need help to get back on their feet. The elderly people who can’t afford groceries and will go to bed hungry.  

When the House of Representatives passed the bill Thursday by a one-vote margin, Martinez’s heart sank.  

But he isn’t giving up. He’s resolved to fight harder for his community. He’s focusing his energies on the Senate, which will take up the bill next.  

“We need to talk to our senators and we need to let them know these cuts are not right, tell them not to cut services to these working families to give tax breaks to billionaires,” Martinez says.  

Anti-worker lawmakers are cutting almost $300 billion from SNAP and shifting costs onto states. The result? Food assistance for millions of families will be in jeopardy as states struggle to bear the financial strain of cuts to SNAP and other services.  

Go here to see how cutting SNAP will affect communities in your state.  

It boggles Martinez’s mind that extremist politicians are gutting SNAP so billionaires like Elon Musk can buy more yachts.  

“When the House passed the bill, it really broke my heart. What about the people who are just trying to get by?” Martinez says. “You’re taking away people’s food security. I see their faces. I work with these people in person and over the phone. It really makes me sad. It feels like you’re kicking them (when they are) down.” 

AFSCME President Lee Saunders warned that the budget bill would: 

• Cancel food assistance for nearly 3.5 million people — many of them kids  

• Kick more than 13 million people off health coverage 

• Close hospitals, nursing facilities, clinics and veterans’ homes or force them to lay off staff 

• Spark massive layoffs in health care, education and other areas  

• Devastate local economies 

• Trigger huge cuts to Medicare  

“At every turn, working people will pay the price while anti-union extremists in Congress prioritize tax breaks for billionaires,” Saunders said. “But this budget is not yet law, and this fight is not yet over. In the coming weeks, we will be relentless in our efforts to make sure every member of the Senate knows exactly what’s at stake.” 

You can do your part to fight these cuts in the Senate.  

It’s time to Get Organized. That means going to a union meeting. Engaging your co-workers and getting them involved in fighting these attacks on public services and working people. The bigger we are, the more power we have to say working people shouldn’t just get by – we demand to thrive.  

They are two of the thousands of AFSCME members who help families access food stamps. But the food stamp program is no longer called that. It’s now called SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Sheryl Feducia	Stacy Smith
Eligibility Specialist, Connecticut’s Department of Social Services	Eligibility Technician, Rhode Island’s Department of Human Resources

But SNAP is under threat like never before.

A budget bill that anti-union extremists in the House of Representatives are pushing would gut SNAP by $300 billion.

That’s not all. In addition to destroying SNAP, this cruel bill will cut hundreds of billions of dollars out of Medicaid, destroy public services and hurt all the people we serve.

All this just so billionaires can enjoy more tax cuts.

Here’s a guide to help you understand what SNAP is and what’s at stake.

The House-passed legislation would lead to nearly 15 million people going uninsured, with more than 7.8 million of those people getting kicked off of Medicaid, while millions more would lose coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

It’s a big victory for the 1 percent. In fact, it would be the largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy in a single U.S. law. 

But for working families? The budget will have disastrous consequences.  

Here’s why: 

• It makes the biggest cuts to Medicaid ever. That means that millions of vulnerable Americans will lose their health insurance.  

• It means that hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities will close.  

• It means huge cuts to emergency services and public safety. That will make our communities more dangerous. 

• Local economies will struggle as working people are hurt. 

• It also means that AFSCME members will lose their jobs, and public services will be cut.  

• It will also trigger over $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, which seniors rely on for health care. 

In a statement condemning the budget, AFSCME President Lee Saunders said: “The House-passed budget promises to raise prices on working families and retirees, rip lifesaving health care and food support from millions, and threaten public services nationwide – all so billionaires like Elon Musk can buy more yachts.”  

The budget that is now on its way to the Senate will also cut programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which feeds vulnerable families.  

There are many more ways in which this budget will hurt working families.  

We all need to join the fight to make sure this doesn’t happen.  

Sign up here to get alerts and learn how you can join the fight and Get Organized. 

The March order stripped 1 million federal workers of their collective bargaining rights. In response, AFSCME and other unions sued. Our case is still pending in court, with a hearing set for this week.  

The bill, which has 222 co-sponsors, seeks to protect the collective bargaining rights of unionized federal workers by reversing the order. Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced the bill in April. It has the support of many labor unions, including AFSCME and the AFL-CIO.  

When the order was issued, AFSCME President Lee Saunders accused the White House of “blatant retribution.”  

“Federal workers — including thousands of AFSCME members — are the lifeblood of their communities,” Saunders said. “The billionaires running this administration have proven that they are willing to bulldoze anything that stands in their way to enact their anti-worker, extremist agenda — even if it harms our communities.”  

AFSCME is fighting back as this administration and extremists in Congress try to destroy Medicaid, food assistance, Medicare and Social Security to pay for billionaire tax cuts. Through our Get Organized campaign, we are mobilizing and speaking out.  

Join the fight and get organized. It’s GO time! 

Williams and other members of Local 3613 (AFSCME Florida) work for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA).  

This month, they ratified a contract that locks in unprecedented pay raises and critical job security provisions.  

“A union insures you. It’s about knowing you are a part of a strong group who will lift your voice and have your back,” says Williams, a dedicated JTA dispatch supervisor. “I’ve been working for the JTA for 27 years, and I remember when I was getting just 10-cent increases.” 

The four-year contract includes strong layoff protections, a 6.5% raise in the first year, a $4 increase to the starting wage, and a top pay rate of $34.10 an hour.  

“And guess what?” says Michael Scott, a dispatch supervisor and vice president of Local 3613. “We came from $17 an hour only three years ago. You walk in the door now and start at $30 an hour."    

Members will see raises between 3.5% and 6% each year along with performance and safety incentives of up to 1%. New contract language also clarifies the grievance procedure and provides advance notice of disciplinary meetings to allow for union representation. 

Scott said these protections were critical wins. Members beat back efforts by JTA’s new CEO to reclassify their jobs with new titles and the same responsibilities, but outside the bargaining unit.  

Before negotiations began, Scott and Local 3613 President Cindy Hurst worked with members to put together contract proposals that would be ready to go on day one. And it worked. Negotiations took less than three days.  

Scott said solidarity, clear asks and a strategy for rebuttal were key to the local’s success.  

The new contract gives members the dignity and respect they deserve. From pay equity to workplace dignity, AFSCME members everywhere are embracing the union difference.

Many are coming to Washington to make their voices heard in the halls of Congress. Stephanie Teachman and Jeanne Weaver are two members who went to Capitol Hill this week to talk to their elected representatives.  

Watch a short video of these two members.  

Teachman works for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia. She is an administrative assistant and president of Local 607 of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000).  

Teachman says if proposed cuts to Medicaid become law, her local hospital may have to close. 

“I live in a rural area of New York,” she says. “We have very limited access to health care. The closest hospital to me is 20 minutes away.” 

Federal funding cuts could lead to loss of health care jobs and the closure of the hospital nearest to her and her neighbors. That means in an emergency they would have to drive much farther away. 

“It could be the difference between life and death,” Teachman says.  

Weaver is the president of AFSCME Chapter 13 Retirees in Pennsylvania. Though retired from her work at a facility caring for people with intellectual disabilities, she is still looking out for others in the work she does now. 

Weaver says if proposed cuts to Medicaid become law, the lives of the people she cared for could be at risk. 

“It will be disastrous,” she says. “I don’t know where they’ll end up. I worry about that every day.”  

Other members have done what Teachman and Weaver did this week. More AFSCME members plan to do the same. Their message is the same in every instance: Don’t cut Medicaid to pay for billionaire tax cuts.   

AFSCME members are making their voices heard throughout the country, not just in Washington.  

They are standing up against federal budget cuts. They are fighting to protect public services and their communities.  

Join the fight. It’s time to Get Organized – it’s time to GO. 

EMS workers put their lives in harm’s way to save our lives. They are the first responders who show up before anyone else in times of crisis. They deserve the nation’s gratitude.  

“Every day, we are grateful for the selfless heroes who choose careers in EMS, including many AFSCME members,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “We must remember to never take their service or sacrifice for granted.” 

But this EMS Week comes at a difficult time. Extremists in Congress and the new administration are pushing for budget cuts that will harm EMS and all other public services we deliver in our communities. 

“Anti-union extremists in Congress are racing to gut Medicaid — which would devastate emergency services,” Saunders noted. “Less funding for this lifesaving program would make it more difficult for EMS workers to help us when we’re in crisis.” 

The harm that will result will extend far beyond emergency services. 

As Saunders noted, cutting Medicaid would “shutter hospitals and clinics, force ambulances to trave farther, delay care.”  

It would also “overwhelm an already stretched EMS workforce with fewer staff, less equipment and longer response times,” he said. “That’s why we’re getting organized to defend public services and our jobs.” 

AFSCME launched our Get Organized campaign — AFSCME GO. It’s about AFSCME members standing up against threats to public services. It’s also about protecting our communities and the federal programs we rely on. That includes Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. 

This week, we recommit to fighting for EMS workers, protecting public service jobs and safeguarding our nation’s public health. 

Join us in our fight. Let’s GO.  

More than 100 AFSCME members attended various Law Enforcement Week events. 

The vigil was held Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington. It was one in a series of activities meant to honor fallen law enforcement officers and support their surviving families and colleagues.  

The names of the fallen are added every year to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. That’s the nation’s monument to officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

“No matter the emergency, AFSCME members in law enforcement never hesitate and they never quit,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said. “They are selfless in the face of danger, putting the safety of others before their own.” 

As we honor those who died in the line of duty, Saunders said, “We reaffirm our promise to support all who continue to keep our families safe. That support means fighting for better training, top-tier equipment, and adequate staffing — because their safety matters, too.” 

AFSCME members who took part in the events including the vigil, reflected on the solemn occasion.  

“It's a very somber event, and always strikes a nerve with me,” said Ron Walsh, corrections superintendent for the Schenectady County, N.Y., Sheriff’s Office.  

“You will see the color guard escorting a family to their seats, and you'll sometimes see a father with their young son and you realize they just lost a mother. Or you'll see a mother with a young child who may have just lost her husband, and the young child a father,” said Walsh, president of AFSCME Council 82. “It brings a sense of why we do what we do as a union — lobbying for more safety and better benefits for officers across the country." 

The five AFSCME-represented fallen officers whose names were added to the memorial wall this year are:  

Andrew J. Faught, a 27-year-old correctional sergeant with the Illinois Department of Corrections whose end of watch (EOW) came on April 8, 2024. He had served for six years and was represented by AFSCME Local 494 (Council 31). 

Daniel M. Kerstetter, a 45-year-old motor carrier officer with the Michigan State Police whose EOW was on Sept. 15, 2024. Kerstetter had served for two years and was represented by the Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA/AFSCME Local 5). 

Andrew S. Lansing, a 25-year correctional officer with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, who was represented by the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11). 

Corey P. Proulx, a two-year youth counselor with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, who was represented by AFSCME Council 32.  

Davis G. Martinez, a 33-year-old agent with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. His EOW came on May 31, 2024, after he served six years. He was represented by AFSCME Local 3661 (Maryland Council 3). Council 3 members showed the union difference by making sure the state legislature passed the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act.  

Rayneika Robinson, president of Local 3661, went to Law Enforcement Week ceremonies especially to honor Martinez.  

“This is my first time attending the national memorial and candlelit vigil. I'm here to pay my respects and honor my colleague, who was murdered a year ago this month,” Robinson said. “This is a time to come together, support the family, and honor the work and the life of my colleague." 

Anti-union extremists in Congress are pushing cuts to programs like Medicaid that will hurt public health in Austin and across the country.  

Members of AFSCME Local 1624 stood with their Austin Public Health co-workers and allies on the steps of City Hall last week. They sent a clear message: public health workers are vital, and the services they provide must be protected. 

Austin could lose $22 million in federal funding this year. Extremist politicians want to gut vital programs and public services to give trillions in tax cuts to their billionaire buddies.  

In Austin, programs like immunizations, refugee health care and community outreach are in danger. So are the jobs of the workers who run these programs.  

“We need federal elected leaders who will fight for working families — not cave to the wealthy at the expense of public health,” said Brydan Summers, president of Local 1624. “The workers and communities left hanging in the balance deserve better.” 

At a May 7 press conference on the steps of City Hall, front-line workers shared their stories. Then they went inside to the Public Health Committee and testified before the City Council.   

AFSCME members aren’t sitting back. They’re standing up, speaking out and showing what solidarity looks like. They made sure their local elected officials heard from the workers and community members who would be most affected by these funding cuts.

Anti-union extremists in Congress are trying to shrink the federal program that covers lower-income families — including children, the elderly, veterans and people with disabilities. House lawmakers revealed plans to trim about $715 billion from Medicaid over 10 years by changing Medicaid’s eligibility requirements. That would create hurdles for people to stay covered.  

To pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires, these extremists are willing to kick vulnerable Americans off their health insurance.  

“Congressional extremists are charging ahead with a plan to shower billionaires with massive tax breaks at the expense of our communities,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said. “Instead of making Medicaid more efficient, they plan to add bureaucracy by imposing strict work reporting requirements that will just make it harder for those most vulnerable to access the care they need.” 

Cuts to Medicaid are just the beginning.  

The House Agriculture Committee this week also released plans that would endanger the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families. About one in eight Americans relies on SNAP. That includes one in five kids.  

The proposal would cut $230 billion from the federally funded program and shift that financial burden onto states. That would force states to find ways to pay for SNAP or cut benefits. Which means more vulnerable Americans will go hungry.  

Other federal programs on the chopping block? Social Security, which AFSCME members are standing up for by making their voices heard.   

“AFSCME members are watching what happens this week, and we are mobilizing,” Saunders said. “We’ll be in the halls of Congress and holding events in communities across the country to sound the alarm on how damaging these cuts will be. We won’t stand by while families are robbed of lifesaving public services just to line the pockets of billionaires.” 

AFSCME members are mobilizing through our union’s Get Organized campaign, or AFSCME GO, which is all about standing up to the extremists in Congress and their billionaire friends. It’s about protecting Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. 

Join the fight. It’s time to Get Organized – it’s time to GO.

Written by The United States Conference of Mayors, the letter was a warning to lawmakers who are finalizing a bill that could decimate Medicaid. The mayors wrote that slashing the program would lead to more crime and reduce emergency services.

“The cuts being considered by Congress will not only hurt Medicaid beneficiaries and our health system but also jeopardize public safety and the progress we have made in reducing violent crime,” according to the nonpartisan group, which represents 1,400 cities.

The mayors wrote that cuts and eligibility changes to Medicaid will lead to an exponential increase in people suffering from mental health crises, substance abuse addiction, housing instability and more. Officers would need to attend to them, leaving fewer personnel and resources to prevent and solve violent crime.

“Our police officers and EMTs are often the first on the scene when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, struggling with addiction or suffering from a preventable health condition that has gone untreated,” the mayors wrote. “Without access to the ongoing care that Medicaid provides, these challenges grow more severe, more dangerous, and more costly for local governments.”

The letter also described how Medicaid plays a critical role in promoting public safety. It provides treatment for substance use and behavioral health, which reduces 911 traffic, emergency room visits and jail bookings.

Medicaid also reduces recidivism, protects first responders and promotes safer neighborhoods. At the same time, Medicaid supports people experiencing homelessness by providing health care and other services to them.

“If these services are reduced or eliminated, we may well see an increase in homelessness, and that may also lead to an increase in violent crime,” the mayors said.

They note that Medicaid is not just a health program. Rather, it is “a vital public safety tool.”

Join the fight to protect public safety and emergency services by Getting Organized.

AFSCME is fighting these and other cuts through its Get Organized campaign. AFSCME GO is about making sure that everyone understands what’s at stake in this fight. It’s about standing up to the billionaires and anti-union extremists trying to steal our power, and defeating any efforts to gut key programs including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. 

They celebrated the Austin City Council’s recent passage of Item 55. That resolution sets up strong ethical guardrails and worker protections as the City of Austin adopts AI into its work.

“We support innovation — but it must come with safeguards,” said  Local 1624 President Brydan Summers, who spoke at the city council meeting in April in support of the resolution.

“This resolution ensures AI is used to support — not replace — public workers,” Summers said. “By requiring human oversight, banning continuous surveillance, and protecting workers from AI-only decisions, Item 55 puts the safety and dignity of the workforce first.”

Local 1624 includes nearly 5,000 City of Austin and Travis County workers. Members worked closely with the Austin City Council to shape the AI policy and make sure labor had a seat at the table.

A key victory in Item 55 is the “no job displacement without consultation” policy. This guarantees that no AI system will wipe out or drastically change jobs without first engaging with affected employees and their union.

The resolution protects against AI-based productivity scoring. It requires direct notice to employees. And it establishes a right to appeal AI-influenced decisions. It also commits the city to consulting with AFSCME and front-line worker representatives as new technologies are introduced.

“AI decisions shouldn’t happen to us — they should happen with us,” Summers said.

Many lost their lives saving others who worked in the World Trade Center.

But for those who survived, and for those who worked cleaning up the site, the memory of that day is seared into their bodies. That’s due to health problems caused by the toxic dust from the destroyed buildings.

More than two decades later, those first responders and others — many of whom are AFSCME members — rely on the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) to get the care they need for conditions they suffer because of the selfless work they did that day and beyond.

Asthma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cancer are the most common ailments tied to the toxic dust, but there are others. WTCHP determines what health conditions have been caused by the terrorist attacks and then provides treatment, free of charge.

But because of the layoffs of program staff, those benefits may soon disappear.

The Trump administration fired 16 WTCHP workers earlier this month, adding to the cuts already made to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

First responders and survivors are already feeling the effects of the White House cuts to NIOSH and the WTCHP.

There have been delays in participants getting approval for benefits for recent diagnoses. New participant signups have trickled to virtually nothing. That’s because there isn’t enough staff to certify and authorize people for treatment. This despite hundreds of people still applying to be in the program every month as they come down with 9/11-related illnesses.

NIOSH doctors and scientists are responsible for determining whether new diagnoses and conditions are potentially the result of the 9/11 attacks.

Without the necessary staff to make those determinations and approve treatments and benefits 9/11 responders and survivors are due, the results for the affected responders are likely to be devastating.

This is unacceptable. The health and well-being of 9/11 responders should never be compromised. These heroes should never be abandoned, not after the sacrifices they made during one of America’s darkest days.

AFSCME members are fighting reckless budget cuts by this administration, anti-union extremists and billionaires. Find out how you, too. Get Organized to fight back.

The order is the largest and most significant challenge to the president’s authority to remake the government without congressional approval.

The case, AFGE v. Trump, argues that the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government, which is already underway without legislative authority, violates the Constitution’s fundamental separation of powers principles.

 The coalition filing the case includes:

• The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and four AFGE locals;
• AFSCME;
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and SEIU Local 1000;
• Alliance for Retired Americans;
• American Geophysical Union;
• American Public Health Association;
• Center for Taxpayer Rights;
• Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks;
• Common Defense;
• Main Street Alliance;
• Natural Resources Defense Council;
• Northeast Organic Farming Association Inc.;
• VoteVets;
• Western Watersheds Project;
• City and County of San Francisco;
• County of Santa Clara, California;
• City of Chicago;
• City of Baltimore;
• Harris County, Texas;
• and King County, Washington.

The parties are represented by lead co-counsel Democracy Forward and Altshuler Berzon LLP, Protect Democracy, Public Rights Project, and Democracy Defenders Fund.

In a statement, the coalition said: “The Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation. Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government — laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that. We are gratified by the court’s decision today to pause these harmful actions while our case proceeds.”

Read the complaint here and the temporary restraining order here.

Let’s GO 

AFSCME is fighting the administration’s cuts through its Get Organized campaign.

AFSCME GO is about making sure that everyone understands what’s at stake in this fight. It’s about standing up to the billionaires and anti-union extremists trying to steal our power, and defeating any efforts to gut key programs including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. 

As a physical therapist assistant, Weidert brings a smile to the residents with her positive attitude and contagious sense of humor, according to co-worker Dawn Esselink.

“One thing she always says to the residents, after she’s done assisting someone, is: ‘Now, say thank you, nice lady, to me,’” Esselink says. “They all just chuckle at that. That’s how they know her as ‘nice lady.’ But she also gives the best hugs to our residents, too. She gives them caring hugs.”

Beyond her sense of humor, Weidert is known throughout the home for war veterans as someone who gives her absolute best every single day.

“Kris puts the residents first in whatever she’s doing,” says Esselink, a recreation therapist. “She’s a very hard worker and never one to sit still. She does whatever is needed. She is also very kind and caring. I’m proud to say I work with her.”

For her service to her community, Weidert, a member of AFSCME Local 2225 (Council 5), is a winner of our union’s Never Quit Service Award. The award recognizes public service workers who go above and beyond the call of duty to make their communities better.

When asked about her job, Weidert says she doesn’t think of it as work. She’s been serving others in nursing homes since she finished high school, and caring for elderly people is simply her calling.

“I love treating the residents like family,” she says. “I like them to have fun. I like to put a smile on their face. Being in a nursing home for them is not always the best place to be, but if you can make them laugh or smile, it’s very self-rewarding for me.”

When asked what motivates her to give the best of herself every single day, Weidert replies like it’s self-evident.

“I take pride in my work,” she says. “I enjoy what I do. It takes a lot to keep me home if I don’t feel well. The residents need me, and I like caring for them. I like to be the giver.”

But the contract hadn’t covered forensic scientists, firearms ballistics techs, water lab analysts and others in the science and technical unit.

Until recently.

On April 25, nearly 94% of workers from the unit who cast a ballot voted to join AFSCME. That added 70 more dedicated city workers to the bargaining unit.

“For years we have been working towards the success of the same city but without the same benefits and protections,” said Tyler Strausbaugh, a senior environmental monitor tech. “We are often doing this work side by side, but nobody could remember exactly why it was we were not in the union.”

Strausbaugh was an AFSCME member in his old job before transferring into his current position. So he knew the difference a union makes.

“There is so much that AFSCME does to help workers out that is sort of just routine until you don’t have it available to you,” said Strausbaugh, who helped to organize his co-workers leading up to the election. “And that is really what people are excited for — the security of a contract and the knowledge that we have a voice on things like longevity pay and our benefits.”

These workers underscore AFSCME’s momentum despite attacks on workers’ rights. Unions have an approval rating of 70%. Over the last year alone, AFSCME has grown by 40,000 members.

Michael Morrison spent 18 years as a foreman for the water department and is now president of Local 1180. He said the local’s growth even in one of the country’s “reddest” states shows that the issues that unite working families are nonpartisan.

“We know our mayor. We know our city councilors. They are our neighbors, their kids are on gymnastics and Little League teams with our kids, we go to the same churches and sit in the same school pick-up lines,” Morrison said. “So, when we sit down to bargain for a paycheck that reflects the value of our work, safety on the job and respect, they understand what we are talking about, and we can make the AFSCME difference real for our members.”

I learned a lot about caregiving as my mother’s physical and cognitive health declined. Because she had Alzheimer’s, my sisters and I had the challenging task of advocating for her when it came to end-of-life health care decisions. I am now acutely aware of the importance of asking our beloved elders about their wishes while they can still share them with us. And I am committed to sharing my own end-of-life wishes with my loved ones.

I also witnessed the incredible work of the many caregivers who supported my mother in her final years, months and days. In the nursing wing of the retirement community where she lived, direct care workers, physical therapists, and dietary aides did the difficult work of caring for my mother and many others. They did it with skill and compassion and commitment, despite the long hours and inadequate pay that are the reality for many front-line health care providers.

Towards the very end of her life, my mother had the benefit of receiving additional care from a team of hospice providers, who made the final few weeks more bearable for her and for us. I was amazed by the talent and support that the hospice team brought to the bedside. And after it was all over, I thought about how hospice care is one very concrete example of the impact that Medicaid funding has on all of us, since hospice is one of the many services that Medicaid helps fund.

It is no exaggeration to say that Medicaid provides vital services at every stage of life. Last year, 40% of births in the country were covered by Medicaid. And Medicaid is also there if people need the advanced level of care provided at skilled nursing facilities, where the program pays for 5 in 8 nursing home residents of whom 65% are women. AFSCME members who are nurses, certified nursing assistants and food service workers help provide these crucial services at nursing homes nationwide. 

Medicaid pays for 57% of all home and community-based services for the disabled and elderly. Some of these services are provided by home care workers, including the members of AFSCME United Domestic Workers, whose efforts allow thousands of moms to remain in their homes and communities as they age. 

Medicaid coverage is truly the difference between life and death. If Congress slashes Medicaid, more than 34,000 Americans could die annually.

Medicaid funding from the federal government has an outsized impact on state and local budgets. The federally-funded portion of Medicaid frees up state general funds to be used for other important programs. If cuts are made to Medicaid at the federal level, then states will be forced to cut other public services in order to continue providing necessary services like childbirth and end-of-life care. So even if we are not direct Medicaid recipients, we all benefit indirectly from programs Medicaid helps fund.    

A few weeks ago, I received a notice from the city of Richmond, Virginia, that my mother had been removed from the voter rolls. It was one of the moments that I felt grief, because I thought about what my mother would have said and done if she had been alive and alert right now. I know one thing: she would have joined me and our AFSCME family in our call to stop cuts to Medicaid. And she would have been getting ready to cast her vote for pro-worker candidates in the elections for the governor and legislature in Virginia this fall. I’ll be out knocking on doors and fighting against the cuts in her memory.

The case was brought by 21 states. The preliminary injunction also halted the closing of a third agency, the Minority Business and Development Agency. 

AFSCME and its allies have been fighting in court to prevent the illegal shuttering by the Trump administration of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The agency supports and funds museums and libraries across the country, home to many of AFSCME’s 45,000 cultural workers. 

Last week, a federal judge ruled for AFSCME in our case and issued a temporary restraining order to stop the White House from closing the IMLS while the case moves forward. Yesterday’s ruling in the Attorney Generals’ case reinforces the one AFSCME won last week, and the IMLS should continue to operate for now as a result.  

Yesterday’s ruling also keeps the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a key labor relations agency, open. Among other things, FMCS helps resolve contract negotiations between workers and employers to protect both the economy and workers’ rights. AFSCME is also fighting alongside other labor unions and allies in a separate case to prevent the FMCS’s closure, and we await a decision on our motion for a preliminary injunction there 

In support of his ruling, Judge John McConnell, Jr., cited as evidence AFSCME put in the record. The judge explained that AFSCME is currently using the FMCS in multiple mediations and how, by closing the FMCS, AFSCME and other public sector unions will be required to find more costly, time-consuming ways to resolve disputes.  

These rulings bring relief for AFSCME members, as their jobs and the services they provide are being threatened – all to pay for billionaire tax breaks.  

Let’s GO 

AFSCME is fighting the administration’s cuts through its Get Organized campaign. AFSCME GO is about making sure that everyone understands what’s at stake in this fight. It’s about standing up to the billionaires and anti-union extremists trying to steal our power, and defeating any efforts to gut key programs including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.