The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is not a real department, has mounted an attack on the very real Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration DOGE, a contrivance of the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk, is aimed at government worker and agencies that serve all Americans.
Musk-owned companies such as Space-X, Tesla and the Boring Company have many OSHA violations and complaints, past and present, on the record. Some complaints are still open, which means that Musk has a conflict of interest. Retaliation against complaining workers would be easy if Musk’s DOGE gains access to confidential information about them.
The Trump Administration has no interest in protecting workers. It illegally fired Gwynn Wilcox, an NLRB board member, thereby rendering the agency incapable of performing its responsibilities. As noted elsewhere in the Label Letter, she is suing Trump for his illegal action.
The rate of job-related deaths, injuries and illnesses is increasing. Workers need more protections, not less. Trump’s previous administration was unresponsive to this critical need leaving many key posts at Labor and OSHA unfilled or staffed by anti-worker corporate appointees.
The excesses and illegalities of Trump and Musk call for resistance by workers, their unions, their allies and the public at large, many of whom don’t yet see how their lives and rights are under threat, too.
