‘We’re Not Going Anywhere’: Texas AFL-CIO Statement on Trump’s Union-Busting Executive Order
TEXAS – Today, the Texas AFL-CIO issues the following statement on the new executive order from the Trump Administration stripping collective bargaining and union rights from workers across the federal government.
“Trump is trying to silence the labor movement, but we’re not going anywhere,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy. “Texas union members stand shoulder to shoulder with federal employees against this fraudster. We are rising up, organizing, and ready to defend our brothers and sisters — whatever it takes.”
Texas is home to more than 130,000 federal workers across agencies — the third most in the country. The majority of those are employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
MAP: Number of Texan Federal Government Employees by County
From Everett Kelley, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) national president:
“President Trump's latest executive order is a disgraceful and retaliatory attack on the rights of hundreds of thousands of patriotic American civil servants—nearly one-third of whom are veterans—simply because they are members of a union that stands up to his harmful policies. This administration’s bullying tactics represent a clear threat not just to federal employees and their unions, but to every American who values democracy and the freedoms of speech and association. Trump’s threat to unions and working people across America is clear: fall in line or else.
“Americans will not be intimidated or silenced. AFGE isn't going anywhere. Our members have bravely served this nation, often putting themselves in harm’s way, and they deserve far better than this blatant attempt at political punishment. AFGE is preparing immediate legal action and will fight relentlessly to protect our rights, our members, and all working Americans from these unprecedented attacks.”
From Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO president:
“Straight out of Project 2025, this executive order is the very definition of union-busting. It strips the fundamental right to unionize and collectively bargain from workers across the federal government at more than 30 agencies. The workers who make sure our food is safe to eat, care for our veterans, protect us from public health emergencies and much more will no longer have a voice on the job or the ability to organize with their coworkers for better conditions at work so they can efficiently provide the services the public relies upon. It’s clear that this order is punishment for unions who are leading the fight against the administration’s illegal actions in court—and a blatant attempt to silence us.
“To every single American who cares about the fundamental freedom of all workers, now is the time to be even louder. The labor movement is not about to let Trump and an unelected billionaire destroy what we’ve fought for generations to build. We will fight this outrageous attack on our members with every fiber of our collective being.”
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The Texas AFL-CIO is the state labor federation consisting of 240,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org