Following is a statement from Laura Padin, director of NELP’s Work Structures program:
“NELP condemns the Trump administration’s firing of thousands of probationary federal employees this week and its plans to fire hundreds of thousands more in the coming weeks. These public servants have civil service protections for a reason. They are the people who keep our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs running; provide medical care to veterans; administer financial aid to students; safeguard our national parks and other natural resources; and protect consumers from fraud, among other vital services. These civil servants have protections because our country values their expertise, independent judgment, and adherence to the rule of law. Their political views and loyalty to a particular party or president are not part of the job.
“If not overturned by the courts, the Trump administration’s actions will create a vacuum for tackling our country’s most pressing issues and erode our democratic institutions, bringing us closer to an unaccountable autocracy.
“These mass firings also threaten the livelihoods and financial security of millions of working people and communities across the United States. Thousands of federal workers live in every state—and every Congressional district—across the country. If hundreds of thousands of people suddenly lose their jobs, families will not have income to meet their basic needs and local communities will suffer, creating the risk of a recession. This move disproportionately harms Black workers and their families, who make up a significant share of the federal workforce, threatening a critical lifeline to good jobs. Our unemployment insurance system exists to counter these harms and provide working people with financial support as they look for new employment. We encourage all impacted federal workers to file for unemployment insurance as soon as possible.
“In the coming weeks, NELP will disseminate resources to aid federal workers in applying for unemployment benefits. And in the coming year, we will continue to call out the real-world impacts of the Trump administration’s policies and to advocate for a stronger and more accessible unemployment insurance system. It’s urgent for states to improve their UI systems now, as benefit amounts and durations remain inadequate to meet the needs of working families, and many workers still encounter barriers to accessing and receiving UI benefits. NELP encourages states to ensure that workers are supported during this transition.”
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