As we witness the incoming administration's dangerous right-wing attacks on working people, Public Service International and our members around the world stand in unwavering solidarity with all workers across the United States.

We recognize the grave threats posed by the incoming Trump administration’s policies, which aim to undermine the rights of organized labor, particularly targeting the most vulnerable among us: women, people of color, LGBT individuals, and immigrants.

These inhumane policies are an affront to the values of equality, fairness, and justice that we hold dear in our movement. 

The Trump administration is carrying out a senselessly cruel campaign against non-violent, non-criminal undocumented migrants. This includes putting them in shackles, loading them on to military aircraft, separating families, detaining children in deplorable conditions, and using human suffering as a political spectacle. This has shocked the conscience of the world.

These morally reprehensible actions are a deliberate attempt to dehumanize and divide us.

The administration’s reckless decision to halt federal funding, which was so deeply unpopular it had to be reversed immediately, demonstrates a blatant disregard for the well-being of the American people. This attack on essential public services was a calculated move to destabilize the government’s ability to serve its citizens, all while paving the way for privatization schemes that benefit corporate allies at the expense of working families. 

The administration’s dangerous rhetoric and actions extend to blaming tragedies, such as the airplane and helicopter crash in Washington, D.C., on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, rather than addressing the root causes: chronic underfunding and understaffing of critical agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

This deliberate misdirection is part of a broader strategy to degrade public services, creating a false narrative that justifies the privatization of essential functions. These actions are not merely incompetence—they are premeditated attacks on the very foundations of our democracy. 

Despite these challenges, we are heartened by the incredible strength and resilience of working people.

Across the United States, we are witnessing an unprecedented wave of worker organizing and strike actions. Union members through the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are taking a stand against harassment from immigration enforcement. AFT has launched a comprehensive toolkit to protect students and communities from racist harassment, and already, stories are emerging of AFT educators and educational support staff preventing ICE agents from entering schools. In addition to this, the AFT and their Oregon affiliate are leading a historic strike to demand better conditions for healthcare workers and the patients they serve. Meanwhile as the climate crisis rages, union members are the first to respond, providing critical services to those affected by climate disasters in North Carolina and California.

We are also proud to highlight the tireless work of our affiliates who are united as one in defending public services and workers' rights. A multi-pronged campaign has been launched by organized labor to defend US democracy in the streets and in the courtroom. Our affiliates are strategically taking responsibility to lead a variety of legal confrontations on the whole array of attacks on public services for the American people. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) are on the frontlines, resisting the overreach of the oligarchs who are using the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to undermine public services that are vital to our communities. AFGE’s decisive action to prevent DOGE from gutting the federal civil service has already led to surge in new members. These efforts to erode essential public services threaten the well-being of millions' but our members are standing firm, showing the resilience and dedication that defines our movement.  

In this moment of challenge, we draw courage from the strengthening of labor power in the U.S., with movements like SEIU under strong new leadership reuniting with the AFL-CIO to make bold, broad demands for working people. This collective action is beginning to shift the conversation around labor rights and working conditions. We are more united than ever in our fight for a fairer society. 

The struggles of all working people everywhere are deeply interconnected. The Trump administration’s attempts to impose new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China is a stark example of the damage caused by a politics that defaults to bullying and aggression. Meanwhile the decisions to withdraw from COP, defund the World Health Organization and cut USAID support comes at a time when the world needs more co-operation, generosity and diplomacy, not less.  

While the forces of greed and power seek to divide us, we know that we have far more in common with our fellow workers around the globe—those who speak different languages, look different, and lead diverse lives—than we do with the oligarchs and elites who are driving the Trump administration's agenda.

The world labor movement stands with the workers in the United States in rising to this challenge by continuing to advance working people's issues and refusing to fall into the trap of allowing the right-wing to control the conversation with their wild and dangerous actions. 

We stand together, now and always, with our affiliated unions and the broader labor movement. The road ahead will not be easy, but we know that through our shared strength, our commitment to justice, and our solidarity with all working people, we will continue to make progress.

The power of the people is greater than the power of the few.

Together, we will secure a future where all workers are valued, respected, and treated with dignity.