Workers Decry Trump Cuts at West Charlotte Town Hall

“If you look at any resistance to a fascist movement, it is a labor movement that organizes it.”

These are the words of Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, from an April 24 episode of Slate’s What Next podcast.

On the podcast, Nelson argues that labor organizers across the country should be preparing for a wide-ranging general strike to protest cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

While local and statewide labor organizers haven’t yet gone as far as to threaten a general strike, they have been busy organizing in resistance to Trump’s slash-and-burn policies. 

With nearly 85,000 federal workers living in North Carolina and 15,000 in Mecklenburg and the surrounding counties, DOGE cuts are already having an impact locally. Layoffs have taken place at Charlotte-area offices of the Environmental Protection Agency and US Geological Survey. 

On Wednesday evening, about 100 union members representing a wide range of local organizations gathered at the Teamsters Local 71 headquarters in west Charlotte for a town hall meeting that saw local, state and national organizers speak out about how the actions of Trump’s second administration are already affecting working North Carolinians and their families.

Wednesday’s event was part of a larger string of similar meetings being held throughout the country by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), which in February launched the Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWWL) to push back on Trump’s DOGE measures.

Among other initiatives, the DPWWL will compile stories from working people across the country about how they have been or could be affected by cuts to Veterans Affairs, Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs. 

“We said, ‘If Elon Musk can have his Department of Government Efficiency, we can have our own damn department,” said Liz Schuler, president of the national AFL-CIO organization, who flew into Charlotte to speak at Wednesday’s meeting. “We’re the ones who know what’s going on. 

“These hearings that we’ve been having all across the country over the last couple of weeks — hundreds and hundreds of working people coming forward, courageously by the way, to tell their stories — have been so incredibly impactful,” Schuler continued. “And that’s what tonight is all about. This is about hearing from you and this is about bringing the voices of working people into the conversation.” 

Wednesday’s meeting was set up as a town hall in which attendees could voice their grievances to Sen. Thom Tillis. Though Tillis did not accept the AFL-CIO’s invitation, organizers placed a cardboard cutout of the 10-year senator onstage to be addressed by a dozen speakers including labor organizers and members, elected officials, grassroots community organizers and faith leaders. 

Throughout the evening, the AFL-CIO allowed anyone in attendance to voice their own concerns to Tillis through onsite videographers or by filling out postcards that would then be sent to the lawmaker’s office. 

NC State AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan invited those who didn’t participate in Wednesday’s event to submit their own story through the organization’s website. 

“The billionaires and the bosses have a strategy of divide and conquer,” McMillan said on Wednesday. “Well, we working folks have a strategy, too; it’s called unite and triumph, which is why the AFL-CIO created the Department of People Who Work for a Living to bring working people together to stand up and fight back against this billionaire takeover of our government.” 

Below are excerpts from speeches given by each speaker at Wednesday evening’s town hall. 

Liz Schuler, President, AFL-CIO

“I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, everything in between, the common thread is that these cuts touch every single one of us in this country. If you listen to Trump and Elon Musk and DOGE, they want you to believe this is about some DC, quote, ‘bureaucrat,’ some number on a spreadsheet. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is about real people. 

“And that’s how they think they’re going to get away with these cuts, right? They’re making it about something that’s so far away in Washington, DC. Does anyone know, though, the percentage of workers in the federal sector who are actually outside of Washington, DC? … Around 85% of the federal workforce is outside Washington, DC. In fact, there’s about 85,000 federal workers right here in North Carolina — think about that — and 15,000 alone in Mecklenburg and the surrounding counties right here.”

Mary Bauder, United Auto Workers Local 5285

As a member of the Aleutian tribe native to Alaska, Bauder spoke about Trump’s executive actions trampling on Indigenous rights in that state as well as his proposal to significantly reduce the US Department of Health and Human Services budget, including a $900-million cut to the Indian Health Service. 

“While I desire a government that runs efficiently and intelligently and in such a way that is mindful of its spending, the cuts that Donald Trump and Elon Musk have made prove that they are not aligned with my ideals and values … Trump’s action in this [Indigenous] arena is particularly alarming and proof of his lack of understanding of Indigenous peoples. In such areas as health, native trust is guarded and difficult to earn. So many of my ancestors have died rather than risk being reprimanded and ridiculed by medical professionals who seek to judge rather than to understand and serve. Reckless turnover in Indian Health Services for the sake of the bottom line cannot be tolerated. 

“The whole purpose of a government has never been to serve itself or to turn a profit. A true leader should aspire to run a government that benefits its people, that operates in such a way that honors the ideals of those on whose backs a society was built. My grandma lived more than half of her life before 1965, when Alaskan native women were finally guaranteed the right to vote. We fought too hard and have come too far to allow politicians with pens to undermine native rights.” 

Shawn Montgomery, Charlotte Douglas International Airport worker, Service Employees International Union member, veteran

In March, Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins announced that his agency is looking to cut more than 80,000 jobs, which would threaten the livelihoods of 17,000 VA employees in North Carolina and drastically impact how veterans receive health care. 

“I am a proud United States Naval veteran. I served in 1989, I served during Desert Storm, and I served until 1993. I’m a native Charlottean. I’m proud of the city that I come from, but I’ve seen a lot of changes, a lot good, and a lot not so good. Our primary concerns are the realistic quality of our future. With government cuts and federal takeaways as a veteran, honestly, it concerns me whether or not I’m going to be able to receive the quality of health care that I earned by serving. I have a younger cousin who is going to retire after serving 23 years in the United States Army, and I’m concerned about his future. We wouldn’t all want to see his service be for nothing, just to have benefits cut and him not to be able to receive the quality of care. He’s a family man just like myself, and I want to see the best for him, as in all veterans and in all citizens that live in every city and every county and every state in the United States of America.

“I can honestly say we want to provide the best quality lives for our families; that’s all we’re really trying to do. But a lot of us who are unspoken for or are just trying to navigate and sustain in a very inflated economy. When I got out of the military in 1993, the United States was probably one of the best economies that I’ve ever seen in my life. Yet, so many years later, I’ve never seen such an amount of uncertainty and despair and worry. I’ve served my country proudly. People who are blessed to become elected officials should act in accordance. They are to be a server and not just a receiver of perks and benefits. I can honestly say, as a worker at Charlotte Douglas Airport, a lot of things that we do for the advancement of our jobs are unseen. We work very hard; we work in very strenuous, very cold or very hot conditions. 

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“I would just want Mr. Tillis to know that while Charlotte is a world-class city and we have some of the best entertainment … in the United States, just like the rest of the country, we’re all in need of insurance in a very un-insuring time. The fact that he couldn’t even show up tonight, he failed me. It was my priority duty when I was in the military to serve and protect and it’s his duty to serve. And him not being here tonight is a disservice.” 

Maryann Ruiz, community organizer with the Carolina Migrant Network

“We know that the feds are keen on defunding social safety nets, dismantling both the immigration system and organized labor, and demonizing anyone that stands up against them. I was able to attend a union meeting about a month ago where I heard many members facing job uncertainty. Federal funding cuts are impacting workers deeply and threatening our livelihoods. Union workers and immigrants have spent decades building this country with their hands … but when executive orders slash labor protections or threaten pensions, our communities feel it. When federal funding for housing, health care and education gets cut, our families suffer. When billionaires get tax breaks and working families get told to tighten the belt, we’re the ones choking. Those stories are unfortunately not unique.

“Executive orders, policy changes, and budget cuts are the difference between stability and struggle, between being a family and being broken apart by borders and bureaucracy. We’re here today to hear more about how we can and should work together to keep ourselves safe because we keep us safe. Today, I ask Thom Tillis, how do his policies protect the livelihood of workers and immigrants in North Carolina? I think we know the answer, but still it needs to be asked.”  

Dr. Doug Robinson, retired physician, legislative and communications co-chair for Health Care Justice-NC

I was a Navy doc and now I currently help veterans who receive disability benefits. So in that job, I get to see the physical sacrifices that our veterans made and how they rely on VA health care and other VA services. There is no doubt that those services have improved tremendously over the years. I receive some of my health care at the VA Medical Center and it’s just terrific. Under the Trump administration and DOGE, the VA plans to reduce the VA workforce by 80,000 positions, a 17% cut. Many of those losing their jobs are going to be veterans. Those cuts come when VA health care needs are increasing. The VA already has staffing shortages and job vacancies, and with the passage of the PACT Act a few years ago, the increased number of disability claims has required more staffing. So it is the exact wrong time to be cutting jobs at the VA. Further massive job cuts are certain to degrade veterans health care and services.

Jacqueline Sandle, retired letter carrier, member of National Association of Letter Carriers Local 545

“The United States Postal Service afforded me a great quality of life by having a job that provided me with great health care, provided me with annual and sick leave. In my career at the post office, I had four major surgeries and, during that time, I was able to receive a paycheck. A lot of jobs, they can’t say that. They don’t have annual [leave], they don’t have sick [leave], they have to make do. Some of them come back to work sick and everything. But I was able to stay at home for 8-12 weeks and still have a paycheck. I was provided a living wage, which a lot of people don’t have; they’re working with minimum wage. I was able to buy a house, send my daughters to college, travel, and I never had to worry about food on the table or clothing. I was able to retire with a pension. These jobs nowadays do not have a pension. 

“One of my greatest opportunities was to join the National Association of Letter Carriers union, which taught me the grievance process, protecting our rights and our jobs. Yes, I’m retired, but don’t get it twisted. I’m not going to sit back and watch everything unfold. Okay? No, I’m going to fight like hell for workers’ rights. I will fight like hell for living wages. I will fight like hell for job security.”

Heather Richardson-Albee, member of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 798

Richardson-Albee represents IATSE makeup artists and hairstylists in 22 states along the East Coast, comprising 2,271 members, approximately half of whom identify as LGBTQ. She told the story of a fellow organizer who came out of this year’s Pride Committee breakout meeting shaken by how his fellow members were afraid to organize or participate in their respective Pride celebrations.  

“These events have been created as a safe space for all to celebrate their individuality and who they are openly. It was a surprise to both of us that in an industry as diverse as ours, even our brothers and sisters have a legitimate fear of retaliation and being marginalized. 

“My brother and coworker spent the time that they usually would spend to plan for these upcoming events to ignite a fire in his fellow co-chairs — to not get smaller, but to stand taller. Use your voice, be louder than you’ve ever been, and do not let fear stop the very event that allows you to be seen, heard, and celebrate in your environment.” 

Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler, Union Presbyterian Seminary of Charlotte 

“This is not the first time Tillis hasn’t shown up. I remember going to the General Assembly building when he was in the General Assembly and trying to track him down and having him sneak out the back door of his office to run away from us when we were there with the Moral Monday movement. So this is habitual for him. I don’t think we should ever elect anyone who doesn’t want to hear from the people.” 

Mary Jose Espinosa, Carolina Migrant Network

“This is not the time to be quiet. This is the time to hold our electeds accountable and do so publicly and loudly. We truly have so much power in this room. I know that we are all here today, and I wrote this just from listening. We are asking for worker’s rights, living wages, dignity, job security, health care. But ultimately, we’re asking for a cease of the attacks on our communities. We are tired. We are not taking it anymore. And we have to say, ‘Stop, enough is enough.’ 

Listen: Nooze Hounds: Carolina Migrant Network Reshapes the Narrative (2021)

“I think that I have been doing immigrants rights advocacy for 15 years since I was a kid. Tillis has been around for quite a long time. I’ve known him for a very long time, and it is no surprise that he is not here. I have had a few interactions with him where he runs, but I am here to say if our electeds are not going to listen to us and are not going to show up, we need new people to represent us, and we have to make that happen now.” 

Sebastian Feculak, VP Charlotte Metrolina Labor Council, member of Ironworkers Union 

“I decided to step up because this is not a moment for a passive labor movement. This is a moment where we have to be active because I’ve never seen these attacks on our unions in my lifetime. We cannot just stand by and watch our brothers and sisters lose their jobs. As I’m talking about these issues and reflecting on everyone that spoke here tonight, I’m realizing we all are under attack. But there’s strong solidarity in this room and we are not powerless. We need to show this support to our community, at our meeting halls, at our governance centers. If folks like Thom Tillis aren’t showing up here, let’s show up at their door. We’ve got to go down to Congress and knock on every single door. Let’s do that.”

NC Rep. Jordan Lopez, District 112

“As I listened while you all spoke, I didn’t hear any reference to a political party — no partisanship at all. As an elected official, it’s hard sometimes to snap out of it, but it wasn’t hard tonight, because at every single moment, I was reminded that these aren’t partisan issues. These are human issues. 

Listen: Nooze Hounds: NC House Rep-Elect Jordan Lopez (2024)

“When you ask how will I take these stories and these testimonies back to Raleigh, I’m going to take a bit of what you all did tonight and I’m going to leave the politics and the partisanship at the door. I’m going to speak to my colleagues as humans and to remind them that the people that they represent — regardless of the color that they wear on their back or the letter that is beside their name — and the people that I represent, they are humans, and these are their concerns. This is what keeps them up at night. This is what they’re at the dinner tables discussing. They’re not talking about, ‘Oh, well, that guy’s a Democrat or that guy’s a Republican.’ They’re not. And that’s the same thing that I hear at every single town hall that I’ve been to, every time I’m speaking with a constituent.”

MaryBe McMillan, president, NC State AFL-CIO

“I really wish that Sen. Tillis was here to listen and to respond because Congressional leaders right now are completely out of touch with their constituents back home. They need to understand that we working folks don’t want ideological grandstanding. We don’t want our elected officials to use public policy to settle personal grudges. That doesn’t put food on the table, pay the rent, protect our retirement. You heard from all of the folks who testified how our communities, our citizens, our economy all suffer when essential government services are decimated.”