Largest federal employee union, a leading Trump opponent, to lay off more than half of staff
Source: AP
Updated 5:55 PM EDT, April 24, 2025
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The largest union for federal employees is planning to lay off more than half of its staff nationwide after President Donald Trump’s executive actions have rapidly weakened the organization’s finances, the union said Thursday.
The American Federation of Government Employees will move ahead with a reduction in force that could cut its 355 employees to approximately 150, eliminating organizers, national representatives, support staff and others. The layoffs will weaken a leading opponent to Trump’s dramatic reshaping of the federal government.
AFGE has filed a flurry of lawsuits seeking to block everything from the mass firings of probationary workers to the sharing of sensitive data with billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. It has also helped organize protests and other pushback against Trump and DOGE.
In a statement after its national executive council approved the plan Thursday, the union blamed Trump’s policies for the layoffs, calling them a setback, “but not the end of AFGE — not by a longshot.” “We will not be deterred, silenced or intimidated into submission,” the statement said. “Whether it’s in the courts, on Capitol Hill, or in the press, AFGE will continue to stand tall and defend the rights of America’s civil servants as long as it takes.”
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/afge-federal-union-trump-cuts-layoffs-downsizing-53c0a1491cc5af65278fbd16b8cfb6b5