Sat Apr 19 00:34:00 UTC 2025: ## Trump Administration to Reclassify Tens of Thousands of Federal Workers, Sparking Union Outcry
**Washington, D.C. – April 19, 2025** – President Donald Trump announced Friday a sweeping reclassification of tens of thousands of federal employees, a move that critics say will drastically weaken job protections and pave the way for mass layoffs. The reclassification, implemented through an executive order, designates policy-making federal workers under a new “schedule policy/career” classification.
This effectively removes many existing job protections, making these employees “at will” and vulnerable to dismissal. Experts warn that the broad definition of “policy” could encompass a vast swathe of the federal workforce, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Professor Don Moynihan of the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy highlighted the expansive nature of the order, stating that nearly every government employee touches upon policy in some capacity. This, he argues, significantly increases the pool of potentially dismissable workers.
This action builds upon a previous attempt during Trump’s first term, known as Schedule F, which was rescinded by President Biden. While initial estimates suggested Schedule F could affect 50,000 workers, the current reclassification is expected to have a far-reaching impact. Over 260,000 federal workers have already left their positions since Trump’s return to office, through firing, buyouts, early retirement or pending terminations, according to Reuters.
The move aligns with the Trump administration’s and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s ongoing efforts to downsize the federal workforce, which they characterize as bloated and inefficient.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing 800,000 federal workers, strongly condemned the decision. President Everett Kelley denounced the reclassification as a politically motivated action that will undermine the merit-based hiring system and harm the professional civil service.
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