Members of the Domestic Human Needs Working Group (DHN) came together to sign a letter in support of HR 2550, or the Protect America’s Workforce Act. This bipartisan bill would reinstate the collective bargaining rights and agreements stripped away by a March Executive Order barring certain agencies from unionizing on security concerns.
The letter highlights some of the concerns associated with this executive order - namely, concerns surrounding the usurpation of free speech and concerns with properly following through with the grievance process, as many of the impacted federal workers were part of unions who filed grievances against the Trump administration.
"This makes clear that this is not a partisan issue, but rather, an issue of workers’ rights. If allowed to stand, this Executive Order would completely strip away the rights of a million workers in the United States, and unions in other sectors could be next. Collective bargaining agreements ensure dignity and due process for all workers, regardless of the kind of work they do, who they are, and their life circumstances."
Members of DHN worked alongside the AFL-CIO to generate this sign-on letter in support of federal workers and their right to unionize. "Faith leaders and organized labor have a long history of fighting alongside each other," says Emily, Hunger Advocacy Fellow with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. "And we believe strongly in the bipartisan cause echoed in this bill as we believe in the inherent dignity of every worker."