Worker Policy Watch
Your source for accurate and reliable information on how federal policies are shaping workers’ rights—and what’s at stake for working people nationwide under the Trump administration.
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Trump Rescinds Biden-era Executive Order Mandating that All Federal Contract Workers are Paid at Least $15 per hour
Federal tax dollars, which pay for federal contract employment, shouldn't be used to create poverty level jobs. Federal contractors who work in concessions, janitorial services, parks services, and other important jobs, no longer have a guarantee of at least $15 per hour.
Impact:
This order will likely result in lower pay for federal contract workers.
United States Postal Service Agrees to Work with DOGE to Cut 10,000 Jobs
These cuts in personnel will undermine the ability of the USPS to deliver mail in a timely fashion, not to mention the harm to those who lose their jobs.
Impact:
The Trump administration wants to privatize the USPS and this is one of the first steps in that process.
DOGE Announces the Cancellation of Leases for Field Offices Across the Country for the EEOC, OSHA, MSHA, Office of Workers Compensation, and Wage and Hour Division
Field offices, especially in more remote parts of the U.S., are where the bulk of complaints of discrimination, unsafe working conditions, unpaid wages, and workplace injuries are filed.
Impact:
Closing these field offices will mean that workers in these regions will have to file their complaints on line and won't be able to get assistance from trained investigators and counselors in doing so. Complaints will be less complete, and many will probably give up even trying to file on line, especially if they are visually impaired or older. This will allow employers to get away with more illegal behavior.
Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Reinstate Thousands of Federal Workers
U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup ordered the Trump administration to offer probationary employees who were fired last month by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs the opportunity to return to their jobs. The judge ruled that OPM did not have the authority to direct mass firings of federal workers. The judge also said he was open to expanding the order to employees at other agencies.
Impact:
Probationary employees at federal agencies are generally workers who were more recently hired by the government, transferred between agencies or offices, or promoted into new roles. There is no relationship between probationary status and employee performance or whether their role contributes to so-called “government efficiency.” By reinstating these workers, agencies will be able to resume critical services and law enforcement that were haphazardly halted by their firings. But so long as the Trump-Musk effort to hollow out the federal government continues, workers, families, and communities remain at risk, and the administration will almost certainly appeal the ruling.
Keith Sonderling is confirmed as Deputy Secretary of US DOL
Sonderling was confirmed on a party-line vote.
Impact:
Now that the Secretary and Deputy Secretary have been confirmed, we can expect DOL to start rolling out its deregulatory agenda, aimed at helping employers at the expense of their workers.
Trump Admin Fires Half of Department of Education Workforce
As part of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, more than 1,300 of the agency’s workers are being fired.
Impact:
The Department of Education is charged with enforcement of civil rights for students, including students with disabilities, in addition to managing federal student loans and distributing Pell grants for low income families. Trump has long vowed to shut down the Department of Education, despite only Congress having authority to do so.
Trump Signs Executive Order Mandating that Federal Agencies Share All Data from State Programs that Receive Federal Funding with Each Other
Agencies often have sensitive personal information from people including unemployment insurance applications and health information. Privacy concerns are the reason why this information is usually held closely by individual agencies.
Impact:
Looser access to all of this information increases the chances of data breaches and that people's personal information will be released publicly.
NLRB Abandons Defending the Law Barring Trump from Firing Board Members
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is abandoning its defense of a law that barred the president from removing board appointees at will, trying to giveTrump more control over the NLRB.
Impact:
The NLRB is an independent federal agency charged with the power to safeguard employees' rights to organize, engage with one another to seek better working conditions, and collectively bargaining. The abandonment of defending a law meant to maintain neutrality at the NLRB is another example of the Trump administration seeking maximum control over independent federal agencies.
Federal Judge clarifies that his injunction against Trump’s Executive Order shutting down diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and firing their workers is nationwide and applies to every federal agency
The administration is trying to dismantle federal agencies' efforts to make sure they are complying with the civil rights laws when it comes to their own employment practices as well as the work they do to administer grants and services to stakeholders.
Impact:
This injunction should reinstate public servants to their jobs and make sure that the administration can't dismantle agency efforts to comply with our civil rights laws.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is confirmed as Labor Secretary
With a bi-partisan vote of 67-32, Chavez-DeRemer becomes the Secretary of Labor.
Impact:
During her confirmation hearing, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer promised to "put American workers first," though she was short on details, and indicated support for weakening the standard to determine employee status under the FLSA. Her continued use of the term "American workers" also leaves room for doubt about how DOL will protect the rights of immigrant workers.