WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Unions rallied together at McPherson Square, holding signs that read, “Federal Workers are heroes” as many federal employees made their way to work Monday morning.
“We want to really be with them; a lot of them are coming back to work for the first time in a while,” said Randy Erwin, National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). “But we want to thank them for the incredible work that they do… we want to show them some positivity.”
You could see the emotion on employees’ faces; many smiled, some held their hand on their chest in appreciation, and others said thank you.
“We’re just here to say we have your back and you are appreciated because federal workers matter,” said Hasan Solomon, legislative and political director for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).
This comes as the Trump administration lays off thousands of federal workers in an effort to downsize the federal government and slash spending. The last several weeks have been tough for federal workers as uncertainty surrounds the security of their jobs. Monday morning, local unions representing some federal employees made sure they showed their support.
“We want to see all these illegal fires stopped, and we want to see them stop now,” said Solomon.
“People who are working in the federal government, they’re doing this because they want to do it… They’re not trying to get rich. They just want to be able to provide a service for American people all over the country,” he added.
Confusion sparked recently when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, asked all federal employees to send five bullet points listing their accomplishments for the week. Some agencies told their employees not to comply, while others encouraged it.
According to a report from the Associated Press, another one of those emails was sent to some workers Friday, and employees are expected to respond by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 3.
Despite the changes to the workforce, unions representing federal employees are making sure to show their support and appreciation to federal workers.
“All workers stand in solidarity with federal workers because it’s happening to them today, and it could be private sector workers tomorrow,” said Solomon.
