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Download .pdf leaflet (The Triangle, North Carolina)
Trump’s Cuts = Attacks On Us All!
Since Trump took office in January, his regime began its slash and burn policy — attacking many essential government programs. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accelerated this, firing thousands of workers without notice. Approximately 50,000 federal workers from dozens of government agencies have been illegally fired or pushed to take early retirement. Approximately 225,000 more federal workers are under threat of being fired. Some court decisions have slowed the layoffs. But a new Supreme Court order now seems to allow many of these threatened firings to be carried out.
Of course, there is inefficiency and waste in the government, from the federal to the local level. But these attacks have nothing to do with efficiency, unless it’s how efficient it will be to pass more of our tax dollars on to the billionaires. In addition to tens of thousands of federal workers thrown out of work, the elimination of federal programs means the elimination of important local programs and the loss of jobs of local workers who run those programs.
One example is the impact on the Department of Education. Trump ordered that the $6.8 billion dollars that were to be sent out by July 1 be frozen. That has meant that the school districts that rely heavily on this money, especially districts serving low-income families, will be hit hardest. More than 600 school districts lost $1 million each for their summer programs. Programs that allow children to improve their academic skills, as well as have the opportunity for supervised recreation while their family members are at work, are the most impacted. It also means the firing or layoffs of thousands of education workers who are the backbone of these programs.
The cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services workforce have been drastic. Around 10,000 workers took buyouts or retired when they saw what was coming. The Supreme Court has okayed the firing of 10,000 more. That is about 25% of its staff. This means the elimination of programs that range from providing mental health services, to the testing of well water in rural areas, immunizations for children, and health research at universities.
These cuts have taken place before the new “megabill” further slashes these and other programs. Over the next decade, at least 11 million people will lose their Medicaid health coverage, and another 20 million will lose some or all of their benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The impact of these cuts won’t only affect those who rely on those programs. An estimated 880,000 jobs could also be lost in healthcare fields, reducing access to medical care for many, especially in rural areas. As the cuts to SNAP kick in, an estimated 143,000 jobs in food production and distribution could be lost. That doesn’t include the impact on farmers, especially those on small farms.
These cuts are an attack on the entire working class. Millions will either lose essential services or lose their jobs. And those who still have jobs will be under increasing pressure to work harder, and face continued attacks on wages and benefits.
That’s the future they are holding out to us. And no matter what the Democrats say, the elections in 2026 won’t solve this. These benefits weren’t handed to us by politicians. They were won in response to pressures from working people – not at the ballot box.
We have seen an angry response in the last months, expressed in the thousands of demonstrations and protests around the country in big cities and small towns. There have also been some strikes. In April, the largest public workers union in Los Angeles went on a two-day strike with more than 50,000 halting work. More recently, 9,000 city workers in Philadelphia struck for more than a week. Workers at Republic Services in Boston went on strike and have been joined by other workers across the country. Workers picking up refuse in least 25 cities across northern California have refused to drive their trucks across the picket line at a large landfill. Teachers everywhere are organizing for what lies ahead this fall.
There is a growing resistance. We need to support those already taking action and also build resistance wherever we are. We don’t know what could ignite a massive response on the part of millions. What we do know is that we need to be organized. What happens in the future is up to us. We need to act — now!
The Triangle, North Carolina: Tropical Storm Chantal Upends Lives, People Show Up for Each Other
Nearly 12 inches of rainfall hit central NC from Tropical Storm Chantal within 24 hours. At least six people’s lives were lost, and many more had their homes, cars, and personal belongings flooded. Now, they have to clean up, fight for insurance, and handle huge losses.
Hundreds of people sprang into action to support their neighbors. They cleared debris, helped recover valuables, canvassed neighborhoods, provided shelter, cooked meals, donated furniture, and much more. People from Asheville came to help, just nine months after Hurricane Helene devastated their community.
What do people do when a community is in crisis? We show up for each other. As the climate crisis worsens, there is no one coming to save us but ourselves.
Bay Area, California: Together We Can Fight Back against ICE
The Trump administration and ICE agents are terrorizing us. The fear tactics are intentional because they want people to self-deport. There’s the incarceration of undocumented people, but also of people with citizenship, in cruel facilities. People have been deported to countries they have never been to. An ICE raid in Ventura, CA led to the death of a worker. Deportations are on the rise, while the repression of protests in California has become increasingly violent. People are afraid to leave their homes, including the workers clearing the damage from LA fires, who showed up to work in dangerously polluted fire debris, but are afraid to work when ICE is around.
Don’t mourn, organize! We can get to know our colleagues and neighbors to build networks. We can connect to rapid response teams and hotlines in our areas. We can only depend on ourselves to provide reliable information and build a resistance to these attacks from the billionaires on working people.
Baltimore, Maryland: Attacks on Government Workers Expand
On July 10, Maryland Democratic governor Wes Moore signed an order to encourage state employees to give up their jobs in exchange for $20,000 plus $300 for each year an employee has worked. Moore also ordered a hiring freeze and elimination of vacant positions. He claimed he had to do this in order to close the state deficit. Moore issued the order while at an Idaho conference nicknamed “billionaire summer camp,” networking with CEOs and wealthy investors.
Attacks on government workers are coming from all levels of government, not just Trump. In Maryland, there will be fewer jobs, government workers will be worked harder, and essential services will be cut. Politicians always whine about not having enough resources, but Maryland has plenty of wealthy businesses and institutions. Again and again, the politicians’ solutions are attacks on workers. No politician is on our side. Workers must band together to protect each other and essential services.
Newark, New Jersey: Library Workers Organize for Living Wages
Workers at the Newark Public Library have experienced budget cuts, closures and poor pay since 2007, and are organizing for pay that keeps pace with inflation. Cuts began under former mayor Democrat Cory Booker, who slashed the library budget aggressively for seven straight years, and have continued since. For 18 months, the workers have worked without a contract. Starting salary is only $31,622, with some longtime workers still earning less than $40,000.
These workers of AFSCME Local 2298 have organized and protested for more than one year. As negotiations continue and city government officials refuse to budge, the workers are conducting protests demanding proper funding and improved pay. We support these library workers and all public workers whose work and livelihoods are under attack! Come out to support them and follow their struggle at instagram.com/newarklibraryworkers.
