Amo Leads 52 Members in Charge to Protect Workers' Rights

Washington, D.C. – TODAY, Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI) leads 52 House Colleagues in demanding answers from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The letter seeks clarity on the agency’s compliance with a federal court order blocking President Donald Trump’s illegal dismantling of FMCS. Specifically, the Members are requesting detailed information about the agency's plans to reinstate staff, restore services in regions where offices have been closed, ameliorate the impacts of interrupted collective bargaining, and ensure the agency will not be dismantled again.

The letter was signed by 53 members and has the support of the AFL-CIO, AFGE, SEIU, and SEIU1199. 

Excerpts from the letter: 

“President Trump is illegally eliminating FMCS by gutting approximately 95% of the agency’s staff, including over 100 mediators and leaving the agency with less than 20 employees. To the best of our knowledge, all regional offices across the country, from Rhode Island to Missouri to California, have been closed in accordance with Executive Order 14238, which reduced the number of staff available to address labor statutes. Although a federal judge in Rhode Island has mandated the reinstatement of all personnel, it is unclear how many mediators and employees have returned to their positions, leaving both Congress and the public unable to determine which mediators and offices have fully resumed operations. Additionally, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request proposes eliminating funding for the agency.[2] These illegal attacks on FCMS continue to severely disrupt the agency’s ability to carry out its mission effectively, hurting workers and small businesses alike.”

“FMCS is an independent agency with a mission to facilitate collective bargaining and promote stable labor-management relations. Only an act of Congress can dismantle the agency. FMCS supports a broad range of labor relations functions, including minimizing private sector labor disputes through mediation and conciliation, supporting labor-management partnerships, managing health care industry dispute resolution, and facilitating labor negotiations with the U.S. Postal Service, among other responsibilities. Despite its wide-ranging duties and broad statutory authority, FMCS operates on an annual budget of approximately $55 million, less than 0.0014% of the federal budget. Meanwhile, FMCS saves the United States economy over $500 million each year by preventing work stoppages, costly litigation, and lost productivity.”

“We urge you to take immediate action to reaffirm FMCS’ statutory responsibilities, rebuild its regional and operational capacity, and restore confidence among the workers, employers, and communities it was created to serve.”

Read the full letter here.

"Trump's efforts to dismantle the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) aren't about cost-savings,” said Jody Calemine, Director of Government Affairs, AFL-CIO. “On the contrary, they're a direct attack on workers and the collective bargaining process. FMCS plays a critical role in helping unions and employers work through tough negotiations and avoid costly breakdowns. When FMCS staff are cut and regional offices close, that lack of mediation support can lead to longer negotiations, unresolved disputes, expired contracts, and an increased risk of what would otherwise be avoidable strikes or lockouts. It's to everyone's benefit that the FMCS is fully staffed and operational. We’re grateful to the members of Congress demanding accountability and working to ensure FMCS can continue doing its job."

“This is a blatant attack on working people and a clear attempt to undermine the collective power of unions,” said Dalen Harris, Assistant Legislative Director, SEIU. “For nearly 80 years, FMCS has played a vital role in protecting the right to organize, negotiate, and resolve disputes fairly. Gutting this agency strips workers of one of the few neutral tools we have to defend our rights and build strong, stable workplaces. SEIU stands firmly against any effort to weaken or eliminate FMCS, and we see this for what it is: part of a larger campaign to silence workers and dismantle the foundations of collective bargaining in this country.”

The letter is signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Adam Smith (D-WA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Andre Carson (D-IN), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Jennifer L. McClellan (D-VA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Alma S. Adams (D-NC), John B. Larson (D-CT), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Haley M. Stevens (D-MI), Judy Chu (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Shomari Figures (D-AL),  Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Eugene Simon Vindman (D-VA), Seth Moulton (D-PA), Deborah K. Ross (D-NC), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Maggie Goodlander (NH).

Background

Congressman Amo is a member of the Congressional Labor Caucus, proud son of a union nurse, and dedicated to protecting the rights of every American who wants to join a union. He is a co-sponsor of the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act). 

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