AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler has responded to actions taken by the Trump administration regarding the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). According to Shuler, these actions include closing field offices and significantly reducing the agency’s mediators and other staff.
Shuler stated, “Dismantling the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service—a small but important federal agency that helps bring labor and management together to solve problems between workers and employers—will be a destructive move for workers, businesses, and the economy as a whole.” She emphasized that shuttering FMCS could lead to extended contract negotiations, delays in implementing new union contracts, and potential economic disruptions from strikes and lockouts.
“This action is an attack on people who work for a living,” Shuler added, highlighting concerns about suppressing the growth of good union jobs with fair contracts. She concluded with a warning: “Once again, it’s clear the DOGE agenda is about what’s best for the billionaires, not the working people of this country—and we’ll see the administration in court.”
