Federal workers today are participating in a day of action against President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s attacks on the civil service. Workers are rallying outside government buildings and the headquarters of Elon Musk’s businesses; wearing red, white, and blue; and posting #SaveOurServices to social media.
The Federal Unionists Network (pronounced “fun” or, alternately, “the Eff You Network”) organized today’s actions. FUN is a rapidly growing network of rank-and-file federal union members organizing to transform the federal sector of the labor movement.
Since taking office, Trump’s administration has laid off thousands of workers and installed his cronies as the heads of these affected agencies. In response, FUN has hosted national roundtables and talks with allied guest speakers such as Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants. A large contingent of FUN members traveled to Washington, DC, for last week’s “Hands Off the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau” demonstration and held strategic organizing meetings with other labor groups in the region.
Alongside the efforts of the American Federation of Government Employees and other unions representing federal workers, members of FUN distributed information and encouraged workers to hold the line. Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” recent and so-called “Fork in the Road” email has pressured workers to resign in exchange for a buyout. The deadline for the offer closed recently, with 75,000 workers accepting the deal — roughly 3% of the federal workforce, the equivalent of last year’s retirement turnover.
Two organizers with FUN, Thomas Topi, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 97, which represents employees in the US Army Corps of Engineers, and a worker who has asked to remain anonymous, spoke with us to share their experiences. Their opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of their employers or unions.
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
What are some of the strategies the administration is using to attack federal workers?
Thomas Topi: It’s the classic playbook that workers in the private sector know all too well: creating confusion, sowing division, and sowing chaos, in an effort to inspire hopelessness.
AN: I think everyone is aware of the return to office stuff and the general threat of layoffs. Those are extremely disruptive. This is primarily psychological warfare. The challenging of existing bargaining units is a punishment by process. Most of the things that are happening probably wouldn’t normally hold up in court. The whole point is to bury us in paperwork.
Do you feel your job is at risk?
Thomas Topi: For most of my career (at least up until now), I’ve felt pretty secure in my job. I know the quality of the work that I do and the value that it provides to the nation. But, yes, I’m worried now.
AN: Yes, every time I think I’m understanding the pattern, something unexpected happens. Over the weekend, my agency laid off 500 workers, including the head of one of our central programs. The secondary issue is the targets placed on marginalized identities in our workplaces. Folks who have dual citizenship might be at elevated risk, and the executive orders around trans identity are written in a way that might put clearances at risk. A lavender scare seems plausible along with a purge of anyone perceived to be a “DEIA hire.”
How are federal workers like yourself fighting back?
Thomas Topi: We are organizing with our fellow workers. I’ve never before seen anything like this wave of federal workers who want to be part of a union. People who are eligible have been joining my union left and right, and people from other offices have been reaching out to me to ask how they can find out if they’re represented by a union and how they can join. And people who aren’t already represented are more motivated than ever to organize their own offices.
AN: It’s incredibly important that we talk to each other both among our immediate colleagues and as a whole federal family. Union drives are imperative right now, both for places that are already organized and shops that don’t yet have a union.
How do you feel right now, given the stakes? What is the energy like in your workplaces right now?
Thomas Topi: Everyone is upset. People are scared but also angry and more motivated than ever to stand with their fellow workers and fight back.
AN: I’m exhausted but not demoralized. I’m seeing bravery in my colleagues and solidarity all across the alphabet soup of the federal government and it reminds me that not only are we and our work worth fighting for, but we’re not doing it alone or in a vacuum.
