Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham issued the following statement on a new executive order from the Trump administration stripping collective bargaining and union rights from workers across the federal government:
“In the Labor Movement we often ask the question, ‘Which side are you on?’ If his previous actions didn’t already show where he stands, President Trump’s Executive Order to take away federal workers’ fundamental right to union representation and a voice on the job shows he stands in direct opposition to every working person in our nation.
“Collective bargaining for federal government workers has enjoyed support for decades from Presidents of both parties. Without union representation, federal employees—especially whistleblowers and veterans—lose vital protections from retaliation and political interference.
“If President Trump is allowed to get away with rampant union busting, it means he can take away union rights from working people in Minnesota and across the nation. It’s time for Minnesota’s Republicans to decide whether they stand with union busters like Donald Trump and Elon Musk or working Minnesotans. We are watching.”