Friend,

My name is Everett Kelley. I’m the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and I need your help.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order a couple of weeks ago, retaliating against members of my union for standing up to his unlawful orders. They want to kill us financially so we can’t stand up to his attacks on public services. This is an existential fight for our union and the labor movement at large.

Friends, Donald Trump is trying to defund and abolish our union while we fight back. Can you split a donation with the Federal Worker Defense Fund to make sure we can keep fighting?

We set up the Federal Worker Defense Fund to help pay legal costs, aid fired workers, and pay for mass mobilizations. It’s going to be an essential resource while we fight back.

We’ve filed a lawsuit―but while the courts take their time to rule, Trump’s orders are still in effect. That means tens of thousands of my members have been fired. AFGE members who haven’t been fired are now working for political appointees who refuse to let them pay their union dues as they have for decades – through paycheck deduction. These new rules deprive the union of critical resources at a critical time. That’s why we’re asking for your help.

AFGE workers provide essential services like the Veterans Administration, the Social Security Administration, NASA, the EPA, and more. This attack on our union will have a chilling effect on whistleblowers who have come forward to decry events like Elon Musk’s lackeys gaining access to sensitive Social Security data. Whistleblowers know that the union has their back―and that sense of security is what Trump and Musk are trying to take away.

Trump’s attack has already drawn condemnation from members of Congress from both parties. Federal workers, nearly a third of whom are veterans, dedicate their lives to serving our nation every day with honor and pride. President Trump’s executive order stripping patriotic citizens of their union rights while they’re serving our country isn’t just wrong and un-American – it weakens workplace safety, morale, and effectiveness inside our government while hurting American citizens through diminished services.

We are fighting in court against Trump’s attacks, and with your support, we will win. Can you split a donation with the Federal Workers Defense Fund today?

I want to thank The Sanders Institute for letting me send you this message.

In solidarity,

Everett Kelley
President
American Federation of Government Employees