Posts tagged firings
A Senate bill seeks to restore collective bargaining for a huge swath of federal workers
September 22, 2025 // Warner was quick to point out what union representation for federal workers does not do. “Let’s be clear, a federal union doesn’t have the ability to strike, or negotiate pay or benefits,” Warner said. But, he said, union representation for federal workers is designed to prevent discrimination and unlawful firings, as well as offer protections for whistleblowers.
OPM calls for quicker firings, more stringent performance standards
June 25, 2025 // Don Kettl, professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. “In the case of any downsizing in government, training is always the first to go. So is there going to be investment to try to make happen what they’re proposing?” The former HR official said the plan to reduce performance improvement plans to 30 days belies the overall memo as a “red herring.” “If you can’t articulate why someone’s failing and you only give them 30 days to show that they’re no longer failing, it becomes a procedural widget to sustain a termination,” they said. “[And] the Trump administration has done such a thorough job in the last five months cutting the balls off of unions—which is a mistake, because they help provide due process—and the Merit Systems Protection Board, the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] and [Office of Special Counsel], it’s going to be hard for current employees under these constraints to win anything.”
Kennedy Center staff to vote to unionize amid Trump changes
May 19, 2025 // After the initial wave of firings in February, broader layoffs have continued in recent weeks. The entire social impact team was let go in late March, and just this week, an international arm of the programming department was laid off, jeopardizing efforts to get talented artists from outside the United States booked for this season. "These teams are small, and they're close. We're all friends. So, it's hard to see your friends lose their jobs, and they're the ones telling us," one programming staff member admitted. "But more than that, there's uncertainty what jobs still need to be done and what is being shelved." There's been intensified concern about the fundraising efforts for the non-profit organization, which brought in an estimated $141 million in grants and donations in fiscal year 2023. The development department, which operated with about 90 employees for years previously, has been reduced to about 30 presently on staff, leaving major holes in budgeting and donor cultivation duties.
Fired dancers, protesters picket Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s season opener
October 15, 2024 // Dozens of protesters came out on Friday from labor organizations including the Dallas AFL-CIO, Actors’ Equity, Young Active Labor Leaders and American Federation of Musicians. Those picketing also passed out flyers explaining what happened to the fired dancers. AGMA, along with the fired dancers and community members, said they will picket at every DBDT performance this season. They picketed at the DanceAfrica Festival and Marketplace at Klyde Warren Park on Saturday.