AFSCME and AFGE Win Major Victory Against Trump Administration’s Efforts to Silence Voice of America Workers

A judge issued a preliminary injunction from the bench today blocking the Trump administration from stripping Voice of America workers of their freedom to collectively bargain  

 

WASHINGTON – In a major victory for federal workers, today D.C. federal judge Paul Friedman granted a preliminary injunction, in an oral opinion delivered in open court, against the President, the United States Agency for Global Media (the agency that houses Voice of America), and USAGM Acting CEO Kari Lake, finding that the cancellation of collective bargaining rights at USAGM was unconstitutional retaliation against AFSCME and AFGE in violation of the First Amendment and was an unlawful exercise of authority.

 

The ruling is a result of a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); the Voice of America Employees Union, AFSCME Local 1418; and AFGE Local 1812 against the Trump administration’s August 28 executive order stripping USAGM and VOA workers of their voice on the job.  

 

Thanks to the ruling, the cancelation of USAGM workers’ collective bargaining freedoms has been blocked. In the ruling, the judge affirmed that the executive order was a clear effort to retaliate against the unions representing USAGM workers and violated the First Amendment. 

 

The judge found that the enjoined August 28 order was directly connected to the President’s earlier March Executive Order terminating collective bargaining rights at a wide range of federal agencies, which was accompanied by a Fact Sheet that the judge described as in effect threatening the following: “Unions that supported him, they’ll be fine, but other unions, not so much.”

 

Despite the President’s March threat, the judge observed, the plaintiff unions “kept fighting,” in particular through litigation and advocacy challenging the administration’s efforts to dismantle Voice of America and stifle its independent, pro-democracy journalism. The judge found that the subsequent actions taken against AFSCME and AFGE and their affiliated local unions at USAGM were “clearly retaliatory,” and represented a pattern of First Amendment retaliation by this administration. The judge concluded his oral opinion by finding it was “in the public interest” to restore labor protections to USAGM employees because Voice of America is “a voice of democracy.”  

 

“This is a major victory for workers at VOA and USAGM against the administration’s efforts to silence their voices in an attempt to punish them,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “The professionals at these agencies have been beacons of hope against the world’s most oppressive regimes. We'll continue to fight for the collective bargaining rights of our members against an administration determined to strip them away.”

 

“The administration’s attacks on Voice of America and USAGM workers were plainly illegal and retaliatory,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “The Court’s finding that the administration once again violated our members’ constitutional rights, including their First Amendment rights, highlights exactly why unions matter. We’re proud to stand with AFSCME as we continue fighting for collective bargaining and safeguarding the fundamental freedoms all Americans rely on.”