AFL-CIO Bus Tour Joins AFSCME for a March on Rep. Kim’s Office to Demand Accountability for Service Cuts

On Tuesday, as part of the AFL-CIO “It’s Better in a Union” bus tour, AFSCME President Lee Saunders and more than 100 union members in Anaheim, California, called for Rep. Young Kim to be held accountable for her vote to cut services at local hospitals, nursing homes and schools to pay for billionaire tax breaks.

Workers gathered for a press conference to speak out against the disastrous funding cuts in the Trump administration’s budget and then marched to Rep. Kim’s office to deliver a letter detailing how the bill will hurt their communities.

“Rep. Young Kim voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid and affordable health care in our nation’s history,” said Saunders. “She voted to increase health care premiums and rip coverage away from [more than] 15 million people across America—including as many as 31,000 people right here in California’s 40th district. She voted to kill thousands of jobs funded by Medicaid—nurses, home care workers, paramedics, special education aides and more….So, today, we’re here to send a message to Congresswoman Kim: With this vote, it’s clear we can’t count on you.”

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 08/20/2025 - 15:17

Tags: Better in a Union Bus Tour

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Labor Leaders and Workers Rally Nationwide for Stand for Veterans, Stand for Unions Day of Action

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Across more than 10 cities, union members and veterans gathered to fight back against the Trump administration’s aggressive attacks on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staffing and collective bargaining agreements.

The rallies followed the VA's unilateral cancellation of nearly all of its union contracts last week. Workers who provide essential care and services for returning service members are represented by unions like AFGE, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), National Nurses United (NNU), the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) and the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE/SEIU).

“Unfair treatment in the workplace will skyrocket,” said Aimee Potter, a social worker and AFGE Local 789 union steward who spoke in Chicago. “[VA Secretary Douglas] Collins claims this will improve veterans’ care, but the truth is, this decision paves the way for mass job cuts, terminations and the hollowing-out of the agency.”

"They canceled my appointment because they literally do not have the staff to cover everybody," said veteran Alissa Ellman who attended a rally in Syracuse, New York. "The waiting room was empty, and the last three visits I’ve had to the VA, the bathrooms in the Buffalo VA have been absolutely filthy. Why? Not because people don’t want to do a good job, don’t want to clean, they’ve been clean for the last 20 years while I’ve been getting health care there, it’s because they are lacking in staff.”

“The call to order is to stop trying to privatize the VA, to stop trying to give our health care, our health care service to a private sector person that’s going to make a profit off of it,” said Nashville, Tennessee, rally goer and Navy veteran Jim Wohlgemuth. “The government for decades, for decades, has been more than happy to send us overseas to wherever and then leave us alone when we get back.”

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 08/19/2025 - 09:59