VA employees rally in Philly: ‘Save our jobs, save our vets'
Dozens of Philadelphia workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs gathered Thursday under an unyielding sun chanting: 'Save our jobs, save our vets.'
Come lunchtime, allies and members of the American Federation of Government Employees arrived at Baltimore and University Avenues, outside the Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, for a rally to protect the members' union contract and benefits amid a shake-up of federal agencies by President Donald Trump's administration.
A rally of VA employees at the VA medical Center in West Philadelphia, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)
'We have federal employees who have devoted their lives to take care of America and the thanks we get is … reductions, downsize on our pay, downgrading positions,' said Karen Ford Woods, president of AFGE Local 1793. 'When you take away our jobs, you take away service to America.'
In March, Trump moved to end union representation for many federal agencies, including the VA. The VA stopped withholding union dues from worker paychecks in late April, and AFGE has lost dues-paying members as a result. Some have been transferring to an alternate payment system.
The VA is one of the largest government employers in Pennsylvania, with roughly 19,321 employees as of September. The majority work for the Veterans Health Administration, which provides health care to veterans.
AFGE Local 1793's members, who numbered 1,400 in April, include nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other employees at the medical center in West Philly, community care-based clinics in the region, and administrative offices.
Since the dues deduction stopped, membership is down to 800, said Yul Owens Jr., executive vice president of AFGE Local 1793.
State Reps. Rick Krajewski, left, and Amen Brown, right, attend and speak at a rally of VA employees at the VA medical Center in West Philadelphia, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)
'Make no mistake about it, those executive orders aim to break our union; they aim to end our collective bargaining agreement and, most importantly, the workers' rights that we have,' Owens said, as passing drivers honked in support.
VA employees have been among those affected by the Trump administration's efforts to shrink and reshape the federal workforce. The administration has ordered agencies to make plans for significant reductions in force, and put forth a deferred resignation program offering employees the chance to leave their jobs and continue getting paid for several months.
Those plans include cutting 80,000 VA jobs. But mass layoffs appear to be on hold, blocked by the order of a federal judge in California.
Amid the uncertainty, Everett Kelley, AFGE national president, said the administration needs to realize what the cuts mean for federal workers.
'Programs like Social Security and collective bargaining agreements aren't just paperwork,' Kelley said. 'They are the lifeline for millions of Americans.'
AFGE has also expressed concerns about provisions included in the proposed federal budget bill that, union leaders say, would diminish federal workers' rights. The bill passed in the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate.
A changing VA workplace in Philly
Amid the threat of layoffs and the possible departure of colleagues accepting the resignation offer, VA workers living within 50 miles of a federal office were ordered to return to in-person work by May 5, and those who live farther have until late July.
In the meantime, business must continue.
After 40 years of service, Theresa Heard, 60, said, she feels betrayed by Washington but she cannot let her veterans know it.
'There is a commitment from people to put a smile on their face and greet every veteran as if they matter most,' Heard said. 'You have to stay focused on your job, you show up, and you pay attention to what work needs to be (done) for that day.'
As a mother helping her children pay student loans, she cannot afford to lose her job. But she is committed to fight alongside her union for both her and the veterans she serves.
'I don't believe they actually know the work that we put in; I don't think they understand the commitment that you get from federal employees not always having all the ideal circumstances but finding a way to get the work done for our veterans.'
___
© 2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Deletes Tweet Linking Trump to ‘Epstein Files'
Former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk has deleted a spate of explosive tweets in which he claimed President Donald Trump 'is in the Epstein files.' He added in the since-scrubbed June 5 tweet, 'That is the real reason they have not been made public.' He then promised, 'Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.' The dramatic claim came amid Musk's nearly three-day blitzkrieg attack against Trump, urging Congress to 'kill' the MAGA head's 'big beautiful bill,' ripping it as 'ugly and 'pork-filled,' and suggesting Trump should be impeached again for his plan to add an estimated $2.4 trillion to the federal deficit through the megabill. Yet Musk appears to have reset and climbed out of his 'Trump Derangement Syndrome,' as the president labeled it, amid MAGA's calls for the billionaire to make amends with the Republican president. Investor and former DOGE architect James Fishback—who told Politico that he left the so-called department amid the Trump-Musk feud—tweeted Friday that Musk owed Trump a 'full-throated apology.' He added, 'And every hour you delay, it'll make an eventual apology less sincere.' Amid disagreements on policy between the Trump and Musk, Fishback said Musk 'should not have baselessly and personally attacked him.' Musk used Fishback's tweet as an opportunity to share his side, writing in successive comments under the post: 'What's the apology for exactly.' He added, 'Be precise,' declaring, 'I will apologize profusely as soon as there is a full dump of the Epstein files.' Musk's comments under the post have also since been deleted. Keeping the pressure on Musk, Fishback followed up by sharing his Friday appearance on CNN with two specific directives on why the Tesla CEO should apologize to Trump. 'First, randomly calling for the impeachment of the duly elected President of the United States over a policy disagreement,' Fishback wrote. 'Second, and it just pains me to bring this up, is the slanderous accusation that somehow the President of the United States was a co-conspirator in a multi-decade sex trafficking ring of minors.' Attempting to play peacekeeper, Fishback added that it was 'not okay' for Musk to drag Trump 'in the mud' with 'scumbag' Epstein. 'As Americans, we are allowed to disagree on the substance of the issue—but ad hominem attacks have no place in the public square,' Fishback wrote. Another commentator added, 'The Epstein comment went too far, whether it is true or not.' However, other commentators weren't convinced Musk owed Trump anything at all. 'He owes Trump exactly nothing,' commented X user John Roush under Fishback's post. 'He made the mistake of believing Trump's talk about reigning in spending, agreed to try and help, ended up becoming one of the most reviled men in America, and then found out that Trump doesn't give a damn about spending & was just using him as an election prop.' Rumors have swirled that White House aides have set up a deescalation call between Trump and Musk. Despite this, BBC News reported that the president is 'not interested' in making up with Musk.
Miami Herald
22 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Trump order seeks to boost U.S. drone industry
June 7 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump is taking aim at drone technology from two directions -- boost the U.S. industry and crack down on malicious activity. Trump on Friday signed executive orders on efforts to spur U.S. production relevant to drone technology, increase U.S. drone security and regulation efforts, and an unleated one to promote design and eventual use of commercial supersonic aircraft. "Unmanned aircraft systems, otherwise known as drones, offer the potential to enhance public safety as well as cement America's leadership in global innovation," an executive order titled Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty read. "But criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors have intensified their weaponization of these technologies, creating new and serious threats to our homeland. Another order, titled Unleashing American Drone Dominance, declares that "building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people." There are more than a million registered drones in the United States, according to the FAA with more than 400,000 commercial drones and more than 350,000 for recreational use. In a press release, the Commercial Drone Alliance said it has "believed that innovation and security are two sides of the same coin. Outdated regulations have long impeded technological innovation and hindered transparency in our airspace." Lisa Ellman, chief executive of the Commercial Drone Alliance, also lauded the executive orders for aiming at both innovation and security simultaneously. "We fully support the long-overdue steps taken by the Trump administration in these Executive Orders -- establishing a framework to scale safe and secure drone operations while enhancing drone security and airspace transparency -- to modernize our domestic drone policy and assure American aviation leadership into the next century of flight," she said in the release. Drone dangers Trump has warned that drones have been used to smuggle drugs across borders, and could threaten large public gatherings, such as the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, both in the United States. "It is the policy of the United States to ensure control over our national airspace and to protect the public, critical infrastructure, mass gathering events, and military and sensitive government installations and operations from threats posed by the careless or unlawful use of UAS," the security related order reads. Chinese-made drones from companies like DJI or Autel are not outright banned, but the Federal Acquisition Security Council has been called on to "publish a Covered Foreign Entity List ... identifying companies that pose supply chain risks." In 2022, the U.S. Treasury added DJI and seven other companies to its Chinese Military-Industrial Complex list, which indicates some level of national security concern. The includes a ban on U.S.-based companies exporting technology to them. The majority of drones are estimated to be built in China, The New York Times reported. The Justice Department and FAA were told to enforce civil and criminal penalties for drone operators who violate laws or airspace restrictions. There will be grants for state and local law enforcement to access drone-detection and tracking equipment. The Federal Aviation Administration requires all drones weighing more than 0.55 of a pound to be registered, in addition to restricting how high they can be flown without authorization. The Justice Department and FAA were told to more robustly enforce civil and criminal penalties for drone operators who violate laws or airspace restrictions. Grant programs are planned for state and local law enforcement to access drone-detection and tracking equipment., the order also indicates Drone industry growth In his first term, Trump sought to increase the use of drones and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been directed to promote exports of U.S.-made drones, in addition to federal agencies being ordered to prioritize purchases of them. "The United States must accelerate the safe commercialization of drone technologies and fully integrate UAS into the National Airspace System," the order reads. "The time has come to accelerate testing and to enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted, American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets." The order directs the FAA to allow commercial users and public safety officials not to fly drones beyond their range of sight, meaning that a user must be able to see the drone they are operating. "Building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people," the order says. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy was directed to initiate artificial intelligence tools to assist in and expedite the review of a UAS waiver application, and the Transportation Department was told to develop an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Pilot Program to accelerate the deployment of safe and lawful eVTOL operations in the United States. Supersonic flight An additional executive order titled "Leading the World in Supersonic Flight" seeks to promise planes that travel at supersonic speeds, which are greater than the speed of sound at approximately 768 mph at sea level, or Mach 1. "The United States stands at the threshold of a bold new chapter in aerospace innovation," the order reads. "For more than 50 years, outdated and overly restrictive regulations have grounded the promise of supersonic flight over land, stifling American ingenuity, weakening our global competitiveness, and ceding leadership to foreign adversaries." The order noted that "advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, and noise reduction now make supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable." The order repeals regulations prohibiting cross-country supersonic flights, which for decades have precluded nonmilitary air travel over land at faster-than-sound speeds. The Concorde was manufactured from 1965 to 1979, but are no longer flown by airlines, however, Boom Supersonic and NASA are currently developing new supersonic passenger jets. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Stage is set and tanks are arriving to celebrate Army's 250th anniversary on Trump's birthday
Stage is set and tanks are arriving to celebrate Army's 250th anniversary on Trump's birthday The tanks and other military vehicles traveled 1,300 miles from Texas by train for the festivities. Show Caption Hide Caption White House plans parade for Trump's bday, Army's 250th anniversary The White House is planning a massive military parade to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. A nearly mile-long train carried M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley vehicles, M109 Paladins and Strykers about 1,300 miles from Texas to the capital for the parade. The parade will include about 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft, according to the Army. WASHINGTON – The stage is being set – literally – for the military parade June 14 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that coincides with President Donald Trump's birthday. Construction workers are erecting a stage along Constitution Avenue near the White House. Steel plates have been embedded in the asphalt to protect roads from 140,000-pound tanks. And the tanks themselves – and other military vehicles – have begun arriving by train. "The Army's 250th birthday is a once-in-a-lifetime event," Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, a spokesperson for the III Armored Corps, said as one of the trains left Fort Cavazos in Texas bound for Washington, D.C. "This is a chance to see our soldiers, our leaders and the world-class force on full display in our nation's capital. We look forward to being a part of history." The day-long festival along the National Mall will feature a parade and fireworks display. The parade will include about 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft, according to the Army. Trump told NBC News the cost – budgeted at $30 million and potentially rising to $45 million – is 'peanuts' compared to celebrating 'the greatest military in the world.' Democratic lawmakers have argued Trump is wielding the military for his own political purposes. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the event is 'all about his ego and making everything about him.' The first tanks bound for the capital began moving May 21. A nearly mile-long train carried M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley vehicles, M109 Paladins and Strykers about 1,300 miles from Texas to the capital for the parade. Soldiers and their equipment will be housed in a Department of Agriculture building and a warehouse owned by the General Service Administration. Chow will consist of two MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and one hot meal per day.
