MELANIE NGUYEN - Press Democrat
Mar 20, 2025
Under the new administration, President Trump and DOGE leader Elon Musk announced their plan for mass layoffs in several federal agencies.
Over 200 community members marched from the federal building to the post office in downtown Santa Rosa Thursday in support of protections for federal workers.
The rally was organized by the North Bay Labor Council along with several other organizations including the National Association of Letter Carriers and the American Federation of Government Employees.
Drivers traveling Sonoma Avenue honked their horns in support of marchers, who toted signs and upside-down American flags as they chanted, “Federal workers are under attack! Stand up! Fight back!”
Reps. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, also attended the gathering. Both said they are fighting against the Trump administration’s efforts to cut the federal workforce.
Thompson called the cuts “shameful” and said President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who Trump empowered to oversee the new Department of Government Efficiency that is slashing government spending and ordering the federal employee terminations, “Do not care beans about us or our families.
“These people are terrible for our country, they are terrible for our community and they are terrible for humanity,” Thompson added.
Huffman also called the federal workforce reductions inhumane and said this is just the beginning of their fight.
“We should be thanking out federal workers, not treating them as numbers,” he added.
Marchers ended their procession at the post office on Second Street, where they chanted, “Save our post office!” Some also posted on the edge of the sidewalks with homemade signs, while other brought their children to the front of the crowds to see speakers talk about the importance of federal employees.
Earlier this year, Trump and Musk announced mass layoff plans for several federal offices.
Although there is no official figure, the layoffs are part of an effort to trim the size of government.
In an interview with The Press Democrat, Maddy Hirshfield, the political director for the labor council, said slashes to the federal workforce will affect more than just the employees.
“It’s not only hurting the workers but it’s hurting people who are receiving those services,” Hirshfield said. “If it hasn’t affected you personally yet, it likely will so keep your eyes open. Make sure you’re protected and get involved.”
According to a Pew Research Center study released before Trump took office, there were over 3 million federal employees, not including 1.3 million active military personnel.
Several federal departments are already feeling the effects of these layoffs such as, the Federal Aviation Administration and the The U.S. Parks Department.
Earlier this month, mass layoffs at the Department of Education sent shock waves across the country, prompting California and several other states to sue the Trump administration.
The Pentagon announced that roughly 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs will be cut. In a recent news conference,Trump justified his reasoning for the cuts, saying his administration was “taking out fat and waste and fraud and abuse.”
Thousands of probationary federal employees have already been laid off. And, more cuts loom, such as the potential decrease of 90,000 Internal Revenue Service employees.
Jeff Parr, a representative for the local Letter Carriers’ chapter, said he believes the government is “taking an axe to something that perhaps could use a scalpel.”
“ (The new administration) keeps saying they want to run it like a business. Well everything is not a business. The Postal Service — ‘service’ is in our name — that’s the service we provide to the public. That’s who the Postal Service belongs to — the public,” Parr said.
Local 183 of the Letter Carriers union will host its own rally Sunday at 11 a.m. at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa to shed light on the potential privatization of the U.S. Postal Service.
Musk has proposed moving the USPS under the Department of Commerce.
Parr said there is a lot to be lost if USPS is privatized and he is nervous about who could be awarded that contract. The Pew study said USPS had over 600,000 employees last year.
Parr said he is worried prices for packages may increase and service areas may become more selective, making it more difficult for those living far from urban or suburban hubs.
This may make voting by mail or getting prescription medicines through the mail harder for those who live in remote areas, Parr said.
“Your letter carrier may be the only person that someone see all day,” Parr said. “We’re part of the community, we’re proud to be part of the community and we take the sanctity of the mail very seriously.”