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WHAT: Rally for America’s Workforce: PAWA to the People
A rally and speaker program will urge the Senate to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act (PAWA) — bipartisan legislation to restore collective bargaining rights for over one million federal workers stripped of union protections in 2025.
WHEN:
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
WHERE:
Upper Senate Park
200 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
WHY:
In March 2025, the Trump Administration illegally revoked collective bargaining for 85% of the unionized federal workforce — the largest act of union-busting in U.S. history. The House passed PAWA with bipartisan support in December. This rally calls on the Senate to act.
“America’s public servants deserve dignity and the right to negotiate their working conditions,” said Monica Gorman, a member of IFPTE Local 29 and an Operations Research Analyst, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. “This rally will send a clear message: the federal workforce is watching — and we are demanding justice.”
WHO:
Speakers and attendees include:
Members of Congress in support of PAWA, including: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D‑Md.); Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.); and three co-chairs of the Congressional Labor Caucus: Rep. Donald Norcross (D‑NJ); Rep. Debbie Dingell (D‑Mich.); and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). Invitations are pending for Sens. Bernie Sanders, Tim Kaine and Lisa Murkowski, and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Jared Golden.
National union presidents and supporting labor organizations, including AFGE President Everett Kelley; NFFE President Randy Erwin; NTEU Vice President Terry Scott; Craig Romanovich, executive director of the AFL‑CIO Union Veterans Council; and Irma Westmoreland, secretary treasurer and VA Division Chair of National Nurses United (NNU).
Local union leaders and rank‑and‑file federal workers sharing personal stories, including: Ashaki Robinson, president of AFGE Local 476 and a social science analyst at HUD; James Jones, a member of AFGE Local 446, a National Parks Service worker and veteran; Monica Gorman, a member of IFPTE Local 29 and an operations research analyst at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; and Witold Skwierczynski, AFGE Council 220 president emeritus and a former Social Security Administration employee.
Hundreds of union members and allies demonstrating for worker rights, fairness, and democratic accountability.
RALLY SPONSORS
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Federation of Government Employees District 14
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
Coalition of Labor Women DC
Common Defense
DC Jobs with Justice
Federal Unionists Network (FUN)
Free DC
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
National Nurses United (NNU)
Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL‑CIO
National Education Association (NEA)
National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)
National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
50501 DC
MEDIA AVAILABILITY:
Press availability with speakers and federal workers will follow the event.
For interviews, contact: anna.bakalis@federalunionists.net or call Anna 323-770-4477.
The Federal Unionists Network (FUN) is a national movement of federal workers and allies working in coalition to defend public services and rebuild government for a more democratic, equitable, and just country.
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