IFPTE Federal Sector Update on Trump/Musk and DOGE Attacks on Federal Workers - Week Ending March 7
IFPTE’s executive officers and staff, along with our Union partners at the Federal Workers Alliance (FWA) and the AFL-CIO, continue to work in coalition on all fronts—Legal, Legislative, Grassroots, and PR—to fight against the illegal and unprecedented attacks by President Trump, the so-called DOGE, including Elon Musk and his associates, and larger Trump Administration, against federal workers and the agencies they work for.
Here is the latest:
Legislative:
IFPTE continues to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill seeking their support for blocking and mitigating the damage done by the mass firings of federal workers, including those represented by IFPTE.
This week IFPTE endorsed the MERIT Act, authored by New Jersey Representative, LaMonica McIver, to reinstate all DOGE-fired federal workers across the federal government. President Matt Biggs applauded Congresswoman McIver, while also noting, “This bill should not be necessary, but it’s sadly needed to counter the Trump agenda’s flagrant disregard for fairness, lawfulness, and good governance.” Read Rep. McIver’s full press release here.
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, Eastern Federal Area Vice President/Local 1921 President, Ben Emmel, GESTA/Local 29 President/NCIL President, Tryshanda Moton, and Local 29, GESTA Vice President, Steve Hard, and Legislative Director Faraz Khan participated in an event hosted by Maryland Congressman, Glenn Ivey (D, 4th) in Greenbelt, Maryland last Saturday to provide guidance and resources to federal workers who are being impacted by the draconian policies of the Trump Administration. The event was attended by hundreds of federal workers, labor lawyers, and Union staff and officers, and provided workers with guidance on combatting the cuts and knowing their due process rights as federal workers. Henson commented that “it was a well-attended event and provided federal workers, including IFPTE members, with not only useful information about their rights as federal workers but also let them know that Unions like IFPTE and lawmakers like Congressman Ivey are fighting with and for them.” Khan, who participated as an expert panelist, also commented: “IFPTE thanks Congressman Ivey and his staff for organizing this event. We were pleased to have the opportunity to participate and to stand in Solidarity here with IFPTE members and other federal workers alike. We will continue to fight against these attacks on IFPTE’s members, and federal workers.”
President Matt Biggs attended and spoke at a rally this week being hosted by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). The rally was held on Capitol Hill and was done as a part of NTEU’s annual legislative conference. In addition to Biggs and NTEU President, Doreen Greenwald who emceed the rally, others attending and speaking at the rally included AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler, AFGE President, Everett Kelley, NFFE President, Randy Erwin, and several Senators and Representatives.
IFPTE Local 121 President, Jamie Uyeunten and Vice President, Irwan Sie, were joined by Legislative Director Faraz Khan for meetings with the office Hawaiian Representative, Ed Case, and Senator Brian Schatz. The two lawmakers not only represent Local 121 members, but sit on critically important committees impacting federal employees. Among the requests from Local 121 was IFPTE’s, and the Federal Workers Alliance request to defund the Trump Administration Executive Orders and other draconian attacks on federal workers.
Grassroots – SSA closing White Plains office…AALJ joins Westchester County leaders to respond :
- Association of Administrative Law Judges (AALJ), IFPTE Judicial Council 1 President, Judge Som Ramrup, and Vice President, Judge Kim Schiro, joined Congressman George Latimer and Westchester County Executive, Ken Jenkins, at a press conference this week in New York in response to SSA’s announced closing of Social Security office in White Plains, New York. Judge Ramrup commented that “it’s really imperative that claimants that want to come into an office be able to do so conveniently…”. See Judge Ramrup’s comments and full press event here.
Legal:
- MSPB grants a stay on terminations of probationary USDA employees at the request of the Office of Special Counsel, headed by Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger. Read MSPB’s order here.
- Relatedly, this week the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, DC reversed a District Judge’s March 1st decision and allowed Special Counsel, Hamp Dellinger to be removed pending his appeal on the case. Dellinger has therefore decided to drop his suit, noting that it could take months or even more than a year to appeal the decision and that his odds before an eventual Supreme Court appeal are long. He also left a parting message to our nation’s federal workforce “You deserve better, much better, than your recent unfair and unlawful treatment from too many parts of the United States government.” Last week IFPTE applauded the Special Counsel for standing up for justice and against the illegal actions of the Trump Administration. See the GovExec article here.
- Yesterday, March 4, 2025, a D.C. Federal District Court judge ordered National Labor Relations Board Member Gwynne Wilcox reinstated after her abrupt and illegal firing last month by Donald Trump. Stating that “no one in our system of government was meant to be king – the President included,” the court’s reinstatement ensures a quorum on the NLRB so that enforcement of the nation’s labor laws can continue. A government appeal has already been filed with the D.C. Circuit. Read Member Wilcox’s bio here, an article on the case here, and the court’s opinion.
Status of all other lawsuits as tracked by Just Security: IFPTE members can view the status of all lawsuits filed about federal workers, the Privacy Act, and other matters at the Just Security “Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.”