St. Louis Labor Council, MO AFL-CIO raise alarm over federal worker firings

‘Attacks on federal workers are attacks on all working families and the essential services that all of us rely on daily.’

By TIM ROWDEN
Editor-in-Chief

St. Louis – The Greater St. Louis Labor Council reaffirmed its support for federal employees during this unprecedented time of attack and vowed that the Labor Movement would be there for public employees, just like they are there for working families every day.

“Federal workers and their unions are essential to a fair and effective federal government that works for all of us, and are vital to ensuring fairness, accountability, and efficiency,” said Merri Berry, secretary-treasurer of the Missouri AFL-CIO and trustee of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council. “Any policy that weakens federal workers or attacks their unions harms not just them, but every working family.”

“The federal workforce plays a key role in protecting the public good, from public health to national security. Rather than cutting their numbers, we should be investing in these workers so they can do the essential jobs we rely on them to do” said Berry.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has three locals affiliated with the St. Louis Labor Council, with members working for the VA and the USDA.

‘DEAFENING ALARM’
“Elon Musk’s outsized influence in this administration is a deafening alarm to working people about the direction we’re headed under President Trump,” continued Berry from her office in Jefferson City. “The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) isn’t about efficiency. It’s a power grab by Musk and the Project 2025 architects to reorient the government to do the bidding of billionaires. It’s just shameful.”

The Labor Council has allocated time on its upcoming meeting agendas to hear updates and opportunities, as well as to strategize how to help with this critical fight.

For more information, please visit www.deptofpeoplewhowork.org or reach out to the Labor Council.