British businessman Bill Ackman has raised fears about the Biden administration’s efforts to secure long-term union contracts with national staff back of President-elect Donald Trump‘s opening.
Ackman claimed in a blog on X that Joe Biden is trying to “make the Deep State long-lasting” before taking office. He claimed that these efforts were intended to put pressure on the government by creating untenable deals, making Trump and the DOGE’s success more difficult. ” This needs to stop today”, Ackman concluded.
Ackman’s remarks come as the Biden administration negotiates a deal that could affect tens of thousands of SSA ( Secretary of Social Security ) people. The American Federation of Government Employees ( AFGE ) and the SSA reached an agreement last week that guarantees hybrid work protections for staff until 2029, including for those who work from home. The union represents 42, 000 SSA staff, and this agreement promises to keep staffing levels while protecting telecommuting plans, a key concern for many employees.
This agreement will allow SSA employees to work remotely while also ensuring staffing levels by preventing higher retention, which in turn may allow the Agency to serve the public,” according to AFGE President Everett Couture in a message to union members. The SSA’s spokesperson confirmed the change to the telework policy, but she also noted that managers may also create temporary adjustments based on operational requirements.
Before Trump takes office, organisations, including AFGE, are urging the existing collective bargaining contracts with national employees. Some coalition leaders also want the White House to formally enact these changes through an executive order.
As Biden’s management seeks to finalise these treaties, Trump’s transition group, led by businessman Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, is preparing to apply broad changes. Focusing on reducing the number of employees and putting an end to work-from-home policies, Musk and Ramaswamy have a plan to streamline federal operations and reduce government spending. The duo claimed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that requiring federal employees to return to the office on a full-time “result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”
DOGE intends to make significant cuts by focusing on reducing the federal budget by$ 2 trillion, with the department scheduled to dissolve by 2026.
