Labor’s New Strategy: Running for Office and Resisting the Federal Workforce Gutting

The labor movement is done waiting for a seat at the table—workers are fighting for survival at the federal level and running for legislative seats locally.

In this episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we examine the dual realities of modern union power: the defensive structural protections of our public infrastructure and the offensive strategy of electoral politics.

Part 1: The Federal Worker Purge & The Privatization Playbook

Jacqueline Simon, Policy Director of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), joins the show to deliver a sobering report on the state of the federal workforce. Since January 2025, a sweeping execution of executive orders has fundamentally altered public services.

• The 300,000 Job Elimination: Why abolishing permanent positions permanently reduces federal capacity and sets agencies up to fail.
• The National Security Loophole: How a million workers had their collective bargaining rights stripped in what the administration's own paperwork admits was a retaliatory strike against the union.
• Designed to Fail: The systematic gutting of Social Security field offices, 30,000 lost positions at VA healthcare, and the looming threat of TSA privatization.

Part 2: From Endorsements to the Ballot Box

Shifting to the offensive, Davida Russell, Secretary-Treasurer of the North Coast Area Labor Federation and Ohio CLUW State President, discusses her historic Democratic primary victory for the Ohio House, capturing nearly 75 percent of the vote.

• The Pivot to Power: Why working people are tired of empty campaign promises and are increasingly running their own members for office.
• Unstoppable Women Conference: A preview of the biennial gathering on June 5-6 in Independence, Ohio, featuring panels with Stacey Abrams, Amy Acton, Nina Turner, and trailblazing labor leaders.
• Real-World Realities: Addressing the financial and emotional exhaustion of the working class and channeling 60-year-high union favorability into direct legislative action.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about AFGE’s legal challenges: afge.org
• AFL-CIO Website: aflcio.org 

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