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Season 6, Episode 54

The Union Veterans Council’s fight against federal layoffs

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Guest Name:


Will Attig

Guest Website:


Union Veterans Council 

Guest Social Media:


Facebook

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Supportive Documents:


Will Attig, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss layoffs of veterans in the federal workforce, the impact on veteran services and the push for privatization. 

The Union Veterans Council estimates that between 200,000 and 300,000 veterans could lose their federal jobs in what Attig called "the largest layoff of veterans in a generation." This massive reduction comes from efforts to cut the federal workforce by 50 percent, disproportionately affecting veterans, who make up about one-third of federal employees. Attig said these cuts target not just Washington bureaucrats, but essential workers nationwide who ensure government services run smoothly and efficiently.

These layoffs threaten to severely impact veteran services, particularly healthcare. Attig pointed out that recent legislation like the PACT Act, which expanded healthcare access for veterans exposed to toxic substances, has increased demand for VA services. He added that cutting staff now would create significant backlogs and reduce the quality of care for veterans. Additionally, many federal jobs provide stable employment for disabled veterans, who may struggle to find suitable work in the private sector.

Finally, Attig argued that the push for privatization is a key driver behind the federal workforce cuts. He said that privatizing services like veteran healthcare and the postal service could lead to reduced access and higher costs, especially for rural veterans. The Union Veterans Council is working to raise awareness of these issues, encouraging Americans to look beyond negative stereotypes of federal workers and recognize the vital services they provide.

For more on the Union Veterans Council's fight against federal layoffs, listen to the full episode above.


America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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