A Weekly Guide to President Trump’s Anti-Labor Activity

By the New Jersey State AFL-CIO

This advisory is the first in a series of weekly messages designed to inform all of our members on the punitive actions taken against working families carried out by President Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk. At the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we will continue to update you on the issues that matter most to working families, as the Trump administration continues to work against the interests of working people.
 

The Department of Labor

Since President Trump’s second term began, he has continued to build upon his anti-worker record, specifically targeting the Department of Labor. In yet another attempt to compromise the ability of the Department of Labor to protect working people, the Trump administration plans to put the former leader of an anti-union advocacy group, Elisabeth Messenger, in charge of the Labor Department’s office that oversees financial disclosures by unions and “union-busting” consultants.

Messenger, served as the CEO of Americans For Fair Treatment (AFFT) an organization that promotes right to work laws, and is expected to be the new director of the federal government’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) Messenger’s leadership forecasts a sharp departure from the OLMS’s efforts to bring employers and anti-union groups into compliance with the law under the Biden administration. With an anti-union leader like Messenger in charge, the future of the Office of Labor-Management Standards will be grim for workers.
 

Medicaid

In yet another statement brimming with lies and false promises to working families, President Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk stated that Medicare and Medicaid would remain protected in an interview with Fox News. However, just the next morning, President Trump endorsed the House Republicans’ budget plan. The plan included a proposal that did not specifically name Medicaid as the target of $880 billion in cuts. However, that amount is required from the portion of the budget that funds Medicaid. The resolution is a blueprint that directs committees to identify cuts and a future bill will actually make those cuts.
 

Budget Resolution

Last week, the Republican controlled House of Representatives passed a budget resolution, which passed 217-215 with all Republicans (except Rep. Massey – KY) supporting and all Democrats opposing. The resolution will eventually go into conference committee with the Senate version. You can read more about the resolution here.

At the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we would like to thank the hundreds of our affiliates who called the three Republican members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation: Congressman Van Drew, Congressman Smith and Congressman Kean who have the power to ensure Medicaid is fully funded in the final budget bill. We thank you for making the voice of labor heard, and for reminding them of the devasting impact that these cuts would have on working families.
 

How will Gutting Medicaid Impact Working Families in NJ?

If the proposed cuts to Medicaid are implemented, they will wreak havoc on our state’s health care system. The 1.8 million New Jerseyans who are served by New Jersey’s Medicaid program, NJ FamilyCare, would lose access to critical health care services. Children, working families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities could lose access to hospital care, physician and dental care, prescription drugs, nursing home and home care for the elderly and disabled, mental health care and substance abuse treatment and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities. New Jersey’s hospitals would also suffer. Atlantic Health System and its seven facilities could lose $32.5 million to $101.1 million, and RWJ Barnabas Health and its 13 facilities could lose as much as $650.4 million.
 

The Department of Education

One of President Trump’s latest targets, the Department of Education, could be eradicated with congressional approval. New Jersey receives around $1 billion dollars in federal funding which is used for vital programs that support low-income students and students with disabilities.

In our state, cuts to federal funding would cause teacher layoffs, and decreased support for students with special needs. Working families’ ability to send their children to college would also be jeopardized, as 180,000 students in New Jersey with exceptional financial needs relied on Pell Grants in order to attend higher education. If the Department of Education is eradicated, the funding to these programs that make college accessible and affordable to working families could be on the line.
 

The True Cost of the Trump Administration and DOGE Attacks:

As the White House, and its Department of Government Efficiency continue to fire thousands of workers, in the name of “large-scale reductions in force” and freeze trillions of dollars in federal grant funds, we will continue to provide updates on how many of our members have been impacted by President Trump's executive orders, anti-worker legislation and mass layoffs. To see how many federal workers have been fired or laid off by department, click here.