The Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO applauds the bipartisan passage of the Protect America’s Workforce Act by the U.S. House of Representatives. Today’s vote is a clear affirmation that federal workers deserve the same fundamental rights as every other worker in this country—the right to come together, to have a voice on the job, and to be represented by a union.
We especially thank the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who stood up for federal employees, including the Republicans who showed real courage by breaking ranks to do what is right. Their votes demonstrate that protecting workers’ rights should never be a partisan issue, and that standing with working people is always the right choice.
Federal workers—including tens of thousands of skilled Metal Trades workers—keep our nation running every day. They maintain our naval shipyards, support our military readiness, protect public safety, and deliver critical services to the American people. Stripping them of their collective bargaining rights weakens the workforce, undermines morale, and ultimately harms the public.
Today’s House passage sends a strong message: attacks on federal workers and their unions will not stand. We urge the U.S. Senate to act swiftly to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act and send it to the President’s desk. Federal workers have earned, and deserve, full protection of their right to union representation.
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