How Trump's Assault on Federal Jobs Disproportionately Affects Black Workers: The Labor Movement's Stand

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Russell Vought, the current Director of the Office of Management and Budget, expressed a desire to put federal employees “in trauma.” Project 2025 deemed union representation for government workers as “incompatible with democracy” and suggested Congress should outlaw their voices in federal employment. Now, as president, Trump is aggressively advancing Project 2025's agenda. He has appointed Vought and granted Elon Musk unrestricted access to federal data while his inexperienced team has drastically undermined core government functions, affecting around 300,000 federal employees—the most significant annual reduction since World War II. In March, Trump’s administration executed the largest union-busting measure in history, stripping nearly a million federal workers of their bargaining rights. This attack on the workforce adversely affects everyone, threatening vital services that safeguard public health and safety. As Black Americans represent nearly 20% of federal employment, these changes jeopardize decades of progress, particularly impacting Black women who are significantly represented in this sector. The labor movement, united, stands resilient against these hostile actions, advocating for the Protect America’s Workforce Act to restore workers’ rights.