Posts tagged Department of Education
Teacher unions sue Trump over $400 million Columbia University research cuts
March 26, 2025 // The AFT has also sued Trump over his efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. Trump and AFT President Randi Weingarten have long clashed over the rule of unions in the education system, dating back to Trump's first presidency, when the two fought over return-to-class plans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teachers sue Trump admin for stopping affordable student loan repayment plans
March 24, 2025 // The teachers' union, however, says the Education Department's decision to interpret the 8th Circuit's decision on Feb. 18 "in such a maximalist way" has "wreaked havoc" on the system. The union claims in its filing that paper applications are not currently being processed as well.
US teachers union sues education agency for shutting student loan repayment plans
March 20, 2025 // AFT “brings this lawsuit to compel the Department to abide by Congress’s command and provide borrowers with the ability to re-pay their loans through the affordable, income-driven repayment plans to which they are entitled,” says the complaint. The education department has cited a court ruling over an income driven repayment plan introduced under Joe Biden, the Saving on a Valuable Education (Save) plan, in their decision to stop all IDR applications and processing.
The leader of a major government union outlines their strategy to battle Trump federal cuts—And says Elon Musk has ‘no clue’ about workers
March 16, 2025 // We’re filing these lawsuits—that's number one. We are pushing even though we understand that the climate here in Washington, D.C. is not the best. But we’ve still got to continue to go on the offense, as I said earlier. We are supporting the PRO Act, which would give workers the right to have a seat at the table to improve labor labor law in this country. We're doing the same thing with the Public Freedom to Negotiate Act for public service workers.
AFGE sees surge in new members as its lawsuits stall Trump’s federal workforce policies
February 11, 2025 // AFGE currently stands at 321,000 dues-paying members, its highest level ever, and is on track to reach 325,000 dues-paying members by the end of the week. Everett Kelley, the union’s national president, told reporters on Monday that AFGE originally planned to reach that membership goal by December 2025.
Unions sue DOGE, Labor Department to block access to worker and Musk competitor data
February 6, 2025 // The lawsuit comes amid a swirl of controversy regarding efforts by Musk and members of his DOGE organization to cut federal spending, size down the federal workforce and readjust or outright close certain government agencies — efforts that have sparked an ever-increasing amount of litigation. Musk has moved to overhaul the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Treasury Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Education since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trump moves to cancel recent union agreements with federal workers
February 3, 2025 // The memo cites a U.S. Department of Education collective bargaining agreement reached three days before Trump took office that "generally prohibits the agency from returning remote employees to their offices." Trump has signed an executive order that would require federal employees to work in-office five days a week, reversing a remote working trend that took off in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union leaders come together for Harris
October 21, 2024 // Some of the nation's largest unions are launching a new get-out-the-vote effort to support Vice President Harris. AFCME President Lee Saunders and AFT President Randi Weingarten join The Weekend to discuss their efforts to win in key states.
NLRB Pushes Schools to Release Student Information to Unions: Navigating Privacy Considerations in Light of Recent Guidance
August 14, 2024 // Private colleges and universities employing student workers face the unique challenge of balancing privacy obligations and a growing push from federal labor authorities to release student information to unions. Recent guidance from the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) General Counsel has brought these issues to the forefront, particularly as the federal agency offers schools its view about how to satisfy your duties under both the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Will the Teachers’ Union Crush Education Opportunity in Connecticut?
March 5, 2024 // Ultimately, their reluctance to embrace opportunity scholarships forces one to question the priorities of those who lead the teachers’ union: Is it to teach children so they’re prepared to engage in the world and lead lives of dignity and purpose? Or, cynically, are union leaders afraid that if students opted for private schools, their coffers would receive less funding from local and state boards of education?