Daniel Horowitz, Acting Legislative Director for the American Federation of Government Employees, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to share insights on the union's concerns and strategies to protect workers' rights as President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on Jan. 20. He also discussed reconciliation and how it could lead to budget cuts for programs most Americans support.
Horowitz spoke about the union’s concern regarding Project 2025, a 900-page document outlining potential policy changes. He touched on three issues within the document, including the potential elimination of public unions; expansion of Schedule F, which allows for easier termination of federal employees; and massive budget cuts to government agencies and social programs.
To combat these challenges, AFGE has launched "Civil Service Strong," an online resource to help federal workers understand and exercise their rights. He said this initiative provides information on employee rights, legal representation and whistleblowing protections.
He then talked about reconciliation, where both houses of Congress get together and agree on a package of changes that affect spending. Horowitz is concerned reconciliation will be used to approve huge budget cuts from programs that most Americans support in order to fund tax cuts for the rich.
The discussion then turned to remote work. Most government employees work in the office, not remotely, he said. If there are changes to remote work policies, they should be negotiated. Horowitz said that is where AFGE draws the line, as the collective bargaining process should be respected.
Listen to the episode above to hear more from Horowitz about these topics.