Press Releases

  • AFSCME’s Saunders: Shutting down the government won’t hide the health care crisis that anti-worker extremists started

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after anti-worker extremists in Congress refused to address massive cuts to health care and rising costs, resulting in a government shutdown:  “As families across the…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders: Court ruling a major victory for Voice of America workers who protect free speech across the globe

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling pausing the Trump administration’s layoff of Voice of America workers: “Today’s decision…

  • Trump Administration’s Plan for Mass Firing of Federal Workers During Government Shutdown Violates Law, Unions Say

    AFSCME, AFGE file lawsuit challenging administration’s reduction-in-force plans  SAN FRANCISCO – The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Government Employees today filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s threats of a…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders: This is a blatant attempt to hold federal workers hostage, instead of addressing an imminent extreme increase in ACA premiums for 22 million Americans

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the Office of Management and Budget threatened mass firings of federal workers in the event of a federal government shutdown: “After slashing public services…

  • 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…

  • Federal Judge Rebukes Trump Administration for Firing Essential Federal Employees

    In a sharply worded decision issued late Friday, a federal district judge ruled that the Trump Administration broke the law by firing federal workers employed in vital roles protecting public safety and supporting the U.S. economy.  Judge…

  • Saunders on the federal court ruling federal probationary employees were wrongfully fired: This is a major victory for AFSCME members and our communities

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement on the summary judgment granted to AFSCME by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, affirming that the Office of Personnel…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders: Big ugly jobs report highlights Trump administration’s failing anti-worker policies

     WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement on the Bureau of Labor Statistics August jobs report:  “This big, ugly jobs report makes clear that an administration run by and for billionaires is…

  • Libraries, Museums, Cultural Institutions, and Nation’s Largest Cultural Worker Union Urge Court to Block President Trump’s Effort to Dismantle the Nation’s Cultural and Educational Infrastructure

    Supporting Brief Highlights the Devastating Impact of Executive Order Gutting the Institute of Museum and Library Services Rhode Island — A coalition of leading library, museum, and cultural organizations, and the nation’s largest labor union of…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders: As trust in Congress and big corporations hits new lows, support for unions remains strong — and for good reason.

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to Gallup’s annual Labor Day poll showing public support for unions has held steady, near all-time highs: “Working people want unions and the…