Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers, criticized a recent executive order signed by President Trump, labeling it an assault on federal employees.
He drew parallels to the 1981 air traffic controller strike, during which President Ronald Reagan dismissed 11,000 controllers.
“This is a hundred times worse than PATCO ever imagined,” Fain stated, referencing the Port Authority Corporation, “when you’re dealing with 700,000 individuals — their contracts are just being stripped away.”
“Free speech is under threat. Unions are being targeted,” Fain asserted in an interview with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, set to air Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan“
On Thursday, the president enacted an executive order aimed at halting or delaying collective bargaining with agencies responsible for national security, alleging that unions hinder effective management. This order impacts a wide range of federal agencies, including those without direct national security responsibilities. Among those affected are the departments of defense, homeland security, state, energy, treasury, and health and human services.
Fain accused “billionaires” of seeking additional tax cuts for themselves.
“It has been demonstrated repeatedly that this approach does not benefit America,” he emphasized. “It’s not advantageous for the American people, especially for the working-class.”
“They desire their fair share. They’re not looking to become wealthy,” Fain explained to Garrett. “They simply want a respectable standard of living,” which he broke down into four main concerns: “living wages, sufficient health care, retirement security, and a quality of life beyond just work.”
