The leader of a large government union describes the strategy of fighting Trump federal cuts and said that Elon Musk was ‘no clue’ about employees

The second Trump leadership is characterized in a great effort to reduce the number of federal workers.

Presidential management and elon used the president through the office of government efficiency Highly unusual resignations offers and in the same way Declose a workforce among agencies, including the Department of Education and Veterans. There is no official number of the number of people, but 62,530 government positions cut This year this year this year this year was the global counting company Challenger, gray and Christmas in the early this month. The future has more incision.

The associations played a major role in the mass fire of federal workers. On Thursday, two separate decisions came to order Trump management to restore these terminated employees. One domination 20. In response to the democrat lawyers in the minute, the general call for the restoration of the occupied employees came from the Federal Judge in Maryland. The other was given In the US District Court, in response to the case brought by dozens of employment units and advocacy groups for the northern region of the United States. The US District Judge William Alsup, thousands of experiments thrown under the leadership of six federal agency and OPM, caused an action that declared illegal. Trump management already given an appeal in this situation.

American State State Federation, District and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) This was one of the plaintiffs in this second difficulty. The union represents 1.4 million civil service employees in the country in the federal, state and local government, as well as the non-profit sector. AFSCME President Lee Saunders, spoke Fortune It is under the workers of the public sector, what the members are felt and the threat about how the union is planning to fight.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Fortune: AFSCME members feel right now?

President Saunders: They feel under attack. They believe in the importance of public services and still see that this current management is attacked every day.

They are afraid, but they also know that they should hear their voices and have to retreat, and that’s what they see. Their association supports 100% by talking about the importance of the state service and to make some of the things this manager complicates it and whether they are in the courtsor whether or not in the media or whether or not on the streets. We will continue to do so to make our opinion and get our point.

AFSCME is one of the plaintiffs character Just tested tested federal workers in favor of recovery. Many see this as a victory for federal workers, but this judgment is notOn the last date of this week, the Trump administration, which requires all agencies on the last date, is planned to send plans for more work. What could the future look like for these workers?

This is a great victory for employees.

This will be protested, but we will continue to put the full strength of the union behind the issuance of such claims. It is really important, but we should not always go to determination, and we must always play defense and continue to do so. What we do is currently, to organize and mobilize and mobilize and mobilize and mobilize and mobilize and mobilize and mobilize our ownership to the city hall meetings.

One of the things we do continues to organize. Seventy percent Americans believe that unions are necessarily necessary in this country and 88% Youth (see positive them). We will spend the resources and talk to employees, they will ask us to be represented by our or other associations, so there are seats on the table.

There is a new development associated with Doge Layoff that is feeling like every day. Would you advise people to follow the hurricane of the actions?

I think that this is for our employees and allies and our friends and friends to talk about trying to damage the leadership. We have to attract people outside the Labor Movement and the Labor Movement to hear the sounds. If this is not destroyed and this destroys, we can remain silent, and this is the federal level (which) federal and local levels, which is possible in federal programs. State governments rely on federal money to finance programs at the state level; They are about 33% from the federal government (revenues). This helps to provide public services at the state, city and local levels.

It’s all to continue to educate. All (employees) are not silent, but not to hear their voices and battle back as before never happened.

(When a comment asked, a spokesperson told the White House Fortune: “President Trump returned to Washington to bring an unprecedented change in our federal government for waste, fraud and abuse in our federal government.”

Elon musk reprosted A tweets responsible for mass crimes under Hitler, Mao and Stalin of the public sector staff. What do you do from this comment and are generally attacks on public sector employees?

I will try to control my tongue, but … This is a hating statement (retweet), comparing our employees and members of the public sector, “Hitler, Stalin and Mao did millions of people, but the public sector service workers.” Now think about it. This is where it comes and we have to take out this message.

There is no information about what employees encounter every day. He does not have what our citizens in our communities improve the lives of our citizens and improve public services, so it is such a statement. I want to say that it is incredible and that people say this is that the people in this lead.

(Fortune Elon reached Musk, but did not receive the answer.)

If the government wants to fire them, how can unions protect employees?

We present these claims – number one. Although we understand that the climate in Washington, DC is not the best. But as I said before, we must continue to go for a crime. We support Pro LawIn this country, they will have employees who are entitled to a seat on the table to improve labor’s law. Do the same thing as Public freedom to discuss legal for public service workers.

We have the ability to mobilize members of the Union, but also to mobilize employees in our communities in our communities. Because this also affects them. The proposed actions affect everyone who trusts public services: Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security. All of these programs are attacked and we have to do what we do best and that’s what we have done.

This narrative against the public sector employees came quickly and strong. How do you struggle with feelings coming from giant platforms such as Trump and Musk?

This is not just federal workers. Really it’s all employees. At present, all employees are attacked. I think that the way I can answer this question, the reality is now in the face. I want to say that they feel. People are inseparably. People are fired. Their rights are taken from them. The services provided by the American people are cut off and offer more damage. Thus, I want to say that the playbook they talked about it must be sure that they have now taken action and understand the effects of people and their families. You have to react to what people want to fight back and hear their voices. You cannot sit quietly and watch it happened.

This story was first displayed Fortune.com

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