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Pelosi Statement on Trump Rollback of Federal Worker Protections

May 31, 2018

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Henry Connelly, 202-226-7616

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after President Trump issued executive orders rolling back decades-long protections for federal workers, making it easier to fire workers, slashing official time and urging agencies to negotiate contracts unfavorable to workers:

"President Trump's executive orders strike a sweeping blow to the time-honored and legally-mandated freedom for federal employees to negotiate better futures. His spiteful attack on the men and women of labor hurts workers and their families, and devastates the efficacy of the federal workforce. It is particularly egregious that the President, spurred by Congressional Republicans, is taking a hatchet to official time, which is a vital tool for addressing serious workplace grievances, including sexual harassment claims. With no justification, the President has moved to eliminate workers' freedom to seek justice, dignity and equality in the workplace.

"These executive orders are the latest salvo in the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans' cynical campaign against labor and federal workers. From the start, Republicans have fought to gut official time, slash federal employee compensation through pay freezes and cuts to FERS, and cripple the workforce with hiring freezes and unfilled vacancies.

"Democrats are committed to giving workers A Better Deal, with Better Jobs, Better Wages and a Better Future, by working to ban laws that undermine workers' freedom to negotiate through unions, ensure accountability for predatory corporations that violate workers' rights and strengthen the right to strike for better wages and working conditions. Democrats will never stop fighting to protect every hard-working American's right to a fair shot in today's economy."

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