Trump's Day One: A Blow to Workers and Immigrants

As President Trump was inaugurated today, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) warned that working people would bear the brunt of his day one executive actions. Trump's agenda, which includes filling the government with political allies, threatening vital programs like Medicaid, and imposing steep tariffs, is seen as favoring the privileged few over the many. SEIU International President April Verrett stated, "His actions will hurt working people who have been demanding unions, lower prices, higher wages, and affordable care. On a day honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we recommit ourselves to upholding his legacy of fighting for racial and economic justice for all working people. Our fight continues, we won’t back down."

SEIU stands with immigrant workers targeted by Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which criminalizes immigrant families and executes his mass deportation agenda. SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Rocio Sáenz emphasized the essential role immigrants play in the U.S. economy and communities, contributing as careworkers, janitors, building security, disaster response workers, agricultural workers, and more. Trump's day one executive orders included several anti-worker measures:

1. Rolling back job protections and attacking collective bargaining rights for federal workers, including turning some into at-will employees. This could lead to a less stable workforce, decreased quality of federal services, and a chilling effect on whistleblowing.

2. Calling for numerous measures to terrorize immigrant workers, families, and communities, destabilizing essential services, threatening major economic shock, and putting workers at risk of being racially profiled. Ending birthright citizenship, which punishes people whose right to be called Americans is enshrined in the 14th amendment.

3. Rescinding more than 70 Biden EOs, including paving the way for drug companies to undermine lower negotiated drug prices under Medicare and potentially making it more difficult for Americans to qualify for and keep their healthcare through Medicaid.

SEIU represents 2 million service and care workers and has committed to winning a future in which every worker can join a union, with living wages and benefits that enable them to live a full and productive life. The union recently announced its reaffiliation with the AFL-CIO, creating a unified labor movement that is more than 15 million strong. In 2024, SEIU achieved several victories, including a $20 minimum wage and a seat at the table for California’s fast food workers; restored union rights for Michigan home care workers and the repeal of the state’s right-to-work law; Massachusetts’ rideshare workers winning the right to unionize; and 500 Starbucks stores voting to unionize.

Trump's rollback of job protections and collective bargaining rights for federal workers could significantly impact the quality of federal services and the morale of public servants. His actions could lead to a less stable workforce, lower employee morale and engagement, and potentially decreased efficiency and effectiveness in federal agencies. The combination of reduced job security, weakened unions, and lower morale could lead to decreased efficiency and effectiveness in federal agencies, as employees may be less motivated to perform at their best. This could also lead to a decline in public trust, as citizens may perceive federal services as being of lower quality, and increased political polarization, as federal employees may feel pressured to align with the administration's policies, potentially leading to biased decision-making.

In conclusion, Trump's day one executive actions, particularly his rollback of job protections and collective bargaining rights for federal workers, could have significant negative impacts on the quality of federal services and the morale of public servants. These changes could lead to a less stable workforce, lower employee morale and engagement, and potentially decreased efficiency and effectiveness in federal agencies. The combination of reduced job security, weakened unions, and lower morale could lead to decreased efficiency and effectiveness in federal agencies, as employees may be less motivated to perform at their best. This could also lead to a decline in public trust, as citizens may perceive federal services as being of lower quality, and increased political polarization, as federal employees may feel pressured to align with the administration's policies, potentially leading to biased decision-making.