Fighting Back Against Musk’s War on Workers: The Department of People who Work for a Living will Hold DOGE Accountable
Our guest author is Elizabeth "Liz" Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, the democratic federation of 63 national and international unions that represent more than 15 million working people. She is also a Shanker Institute board member.
A government that works for billionaires will never work for the people. Yet, under the guise of “efficiency,” that’s exactly what’s happening. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is gutting Essential public services slashing jobs, undermining the livelihoods of hard working Americans, all while consolidating power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy. This isn’t about making government work better; it’s about making it work for the elite.
That’s why the AFL-CIO is fighting back with the Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWL), a campaign dedicated to exposing these destructive policies and ensuring that the government serves the many, not the few.
DOGE acts with the precision of a wrecking ball. Thousands of federal workers have been fired with no warning, their careers, the work they do for the American people, and their financial stability thrown into chaos. Dozens of Education Department employees were put on leave simply for their connection to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Programs that work to improve student outcomes have been eliminated. Cuts to Social Security and Medicare are putting the health and security of seniors at risk. Veterans’ benefits are being stripped away, leaving those who served our country with fewer resources. Rural hospitals and clinics, already struggling, are now facing closure due to slashed federal funding.
The reality of DOGE’s so-called “efficiency” is nothing short of devastating.
These aren’t cost-saving measures, they’re calculated attacks on the people who keep this country running for all of us.
The Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWL) is a critical movement to hold unelected billionaire Elon Musk accountable for the damage he’s inflicting on working families. DPWL will track and expose the real-life consequences of these policies, ensuring that the public understands what’s at stake. We will challenge the unchecked power of corporate elites who treat the government like their personal playground. While genuine efficiency in government is important, it should never come at the cost of essential services, economic stability, and arbitrary job loss. DPWL will advocate for real, worker-centered reforms that strengthen government without sacrificing the well-being of everyday Americans.
The federal government faces a choice: serve billionaires or serve the people. If DOGE’s the reckless policies continue unchecked, the damage will only deepen and the billionaires who gained their wealth on the backs of people who work for a living, win.
As one of the oldest organizations representing working people, the AFL-CIO refuses to stand by and watch the protections we count on be dismantled — protections that working people have fought for over generations. Our work is a call to action to every American. Every worker, union member, and citizen who believes in a fair and just government to join us in this fight. When billionaires attack working people, we fight back. When they attempt to rewrite the rules to serve their interests alone, we push back even harder.
This is a defining moment. Stay informed. Get involved. Demand accountability. The fight for a government that serves all the people, not just the privileged few, is now.
