Trump last week issued an executive order of huge potential consequence that has been largely overlooked in the torrent of abusive actions from the administration. The order seeks to nullify the collective bargaining agreements of vast swaths of the federal workforce, based on vague assertions of interference with executive priorities. It’s a textbook move from the authoritarian playbook—one that doesn’t just target government employees but sends a chilling message to the private sector: union-busting will no longer face any meaningful opposition from federal authorities.
I went live with Michael Podhorzer, former political director of the AFL-CIO and one of the most trenchant political commentators in the country, to break down what’s really at stake. Michael laid out why gutting unions isn’t just about workers—it’s about consolidating power and crippling one of the last major forces capable of standing up to authoritarianism. Unlike nearly every sector that Trump is targeting, labor already has a built-in structure for collective action. By kneecapping labor, Trump and his allies aren’t just serving corporate interests; they’re weakening the very mechanisms of democratic resistance.
I hope you find our conversation as urgent and informative as I did.
Talk to you later.
