MUSKOGEE, OKLA (KTUL) — A protest in Muskogee against the federal workforce cuts being made across the nation by the Department of Government Efficiency.
NewsChannel 8 heard from protestors sharing their thoughts and feelings on the anticipated reduction in force cuts.
“They’re treating the government as playthings. Remember Elon Musk explained what was going on and said, well, you break some things, you fix it. You don’t break Social Security, you don’t break VA health care, you don’t break Medicare, you don’t break Medicaid, because you’re breaking people who rely on them,” said Ralph Dejuliis, the Local President of AFGE Local 2505.
Federal government employees, veterans, and community members rallying together in support of the Federal workforce.
“I can’t sit back and be silent as an elected official and say, hey, it’s time for us to reconsider some of the cuts and some of the things that’s going on in America. So that’s the reason I took time out of my Sunday to stand here, to stand with the VA nurses, the workers, as well as the veterans,” said Derrick Reed, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Muskogee.
Reed tells NewsChannel 8 that this controversial issue could have implications on the community he was elected to represent.
“I’m just thinking about the VA hospital in general. You know, if we lose a lot of employees from that location, the effect it would have even on our economy here in the city of Muskogee. The VA hospital is a large employer of Muskogee,” said Reed.
Tanya Morgan, the American Federation for Government Employees Union President says that within the last few months, about five employees at the Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Muskogee received emails saying they were going to be let go due to their productivity.
Morgan says these emails didn’t come from the employees’ direct supervisors, or from the hospital director.
She says the union requested the Supreme Court to reverse this and that they were successful.
“All employees that were here locally returned to their job with back pay,” said Morgan.
But the supreme court ruled that they went through the wrong jurisdiction, and that the Union needs to instead file a grievance with the federal agency.
Except, Morgan says that President Trump recently filed an executive order that takes away unions’ rights to file such grievances with the federal government.
An executive order that she says goes against laws that are already in place.
“An executive order that was signed that will eliminate the unions. It eliminates our power to bargain. It eliminates our power to write grievances on behalf of our staff and to represent them in all aspects, whether it’s a disciplinary action, an inappropriate termination, or their pay. The executive order has also eliminated our contract. So, we’re currently fighting that as well.
Morgan says the VA plans to cut 80,000 jobs with other federal agencies also planning to make extensive Reduction in Force cuts.
She says the agencies were required to submit their Reduction in Force plans last week.