AFGE Local 252

31/03/2026

Content Note: Images include a visible roach. 🪳
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AFGE Local 252 has filed an OSHA complaint over unsafe working conditions at Department of Labor offices where Department of Education staff have been relocated.

Leaking ceilings. Mold. Extreme temperatures. Insect activity in workspaces.

This is not a safe or functional workplace.

Full Statement + Photos:
https://afge252ed.org/2026/03/31/afge-local-252-files-formal-complaint-about-working-conditions-at-the-u-s-department-of-labor/

26/03/2026

After more than a year of dismantling the Department of Education, wasting taxpayer dollars and sidelining civil rights work, the Administration is now moving what remains of the agency out of its headquarters.

The message is clear.

We will continue to fight back.

Full Statement:
https://afge252ed.org/2026/03/26/afge-local-252-statement-on-u-s-department-of-education-moving-to-old-usaid-building/

19/03/2026

NPR: Federal student loan functions are being moved out of the Department of Education. This is the 10th interagency shift of Education Department work. The impact on students, borrowers, and oversight is real.

L252 Pres. Rachel Gittleman weighs in:

The Trump administration announced a three-phase transition that will eventually include management of most federal student loans as well as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

17/03/2026

Behind every statistic from the illegal reduction-in-force (RIF) at the U.S. Department of Education are public servants whose work supported students and families across the country.

Anthony served in the Office of Federal Student Aid, working on efforts to improve how federal student aid programs are delivered to millions of Americans.

A veteran, first-generation college student, and Pell Grant recipient, his commitment to public service continues today as he pursues graduate study in public policy and public health.

This week we are sharing the stories of bargaining unit members whose work helped support students and expand educational opportunity.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DV_u403EXw3/

13/03/2026

One year after the sweeping RIF at the U.S. Department of Education, the impact is still unfolding.

Billions in education funding have been canceled. Thousands of grants supporting schools and colleges have been terminated. Civil rights complaints from students and families are sitting unresolved.

These decisions don’t just affect federal workers. They affect students, families, and communities across the country. They all deserve better.

11/03/2026

This Wednesday (March 11) marks the one year anniversary of the unlawful RIF, where 1,378 of our colleagues received RIF notices.

Join AFGE Local 252, Senator Mazie Hirono, and more for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, March 11 at 11 am ET + streaming on Sen. Hirono's YouTube and Twitter/X accounts!

24/02/2026

Bloomberg takes a deep look at what’s happening inside the U.S. Department of Education.

40% of staff gone.
Civil rights cases stalled.
Massive program transfers underway.
This isn’t streamlining. It’s dismantling.

Read the full investigation below.

Republicans have been trying to dissolve the Department of Education since it was created. Under Trump, this is how they are dismantling the federal agency, step by step

02/02/2026

A new GAO report confirms what our members have been living for months: civil rights work was sidelined, the backlog grew, and students and families paid the price.

AFGE Local 252 is calling out the deliberate chaos and demanding accountability. Our Office for Civil Rights professionals should be doing their jobs, not being parked on administrative leave while complaints pile up.

25/01/2026

AFGE Local 252 is demanding an immediate, thorough, independent investigation into Alex’s murder, along with accountability for all responsible parties.

Our oaths require truth, justice, and action.

We will not be silent.

16/12/2025

Tune in NOW to Senator Mazie K. Hirono's Spotlight Forum to highlight the dangerous consequences of Trump's plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education for our country's students, educators, and families.

AFGE Local 252 President, Rachel Gittleman, will be testifying to shed light on the chaos that dismantling ED has created for our members, as well as students, families, educators, and states.

16/12/2025

Public servants deserve a workplace free from intimidation and extremism. Our members have already endured months of threats, harassment, and instability. Symbols associated with hate and January 6 have no place at the U.S. Department of Education. We stand with our members and will continue to demand dignity, safety, and respect at work.

Read the story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/15/flag-appeal-to-heaven-education-department/87778953007/

From : For added context: “The “Appeal to Heaven” flag is a historical American Revolutionary War banner featuring a pine tree and the phrase “An Appeal to Heaven,” symbolizing the right to revolution when earthly justice fails, originating from John Locke and used by George Washington’s navy. It’s now controversially associated with modern Christian nationalism, the “Stop the Steal” movement, and the January 6th Capitol events, representing a push for a Christian-governed America, leading to its display by figures like House Speaker Mike Johnson and its association with figures like Justice Alito.”