UAW’s Shawn Fain slams Trump executive order targeting federal unions
President of the United Automobile Workers, Shawn Fain, strongly criticized a recent executive order signed by President Trump, labeling it as an attack on federal workers. Drawing parallels to the infamous 1981 air traffic controller strike under President Ronald Reagan, where 11,000 air traffic controllers were fired, Fain emphasized the severity of the current situation.
“This is 100 times worse than PATCO ever dreamed of being,” Fain remarked, highlighting the impact on approximately 700,000 federal workers whose contracts are at risk of being revoked.
Speaking to CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Fain expressed concerns about the erosion of free speech and the targeted assault on unions. He raised alarm over the executive order signed by the president, which aims to curtail collective bargaining within agencies with national security responsibilities, citing alleged interference by unions in management decisions.
The order affects a wide range of federal agencies, including the departments of defense, homeland security, state, energy, treasury, and health and human services, even those not directly involved in national security operations.
Blaming “billionaires” for pushing for more tax cuts at the expense of working-class Americans, Fain emphasized the importance of fair treatment and adequate compensation for workers. He stressed the fundamental rights of employees to receive living wages, access to quality healthcare, retirement security, and a work-life balance beyond just work-centric routines.
