MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Nonpartisan federal workers in South Florida are speaking out against potential mass layoffs, warning that deep cuts to government jobs would disrupt essential services and hurt local communities.
America is known globally for its nonpartisan civil service federal workforce, strengthened in 1883 with the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Act.
According to the National Archives, “The Pendleton Act provided that federal government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that government employees be selected through competitive exams. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote employees for political reasons and forbade requiring employees to give political service or contributions. The law established the Civil Service Commission to enforce these provisions.”
“Civil servants are nonpartisan experts who pledge an oath to defend the Constitution, not a political party,” explains Civil Service Strong, a nonpartisan organization advocating for the federal workforce.
Many federal employees who spoke with Local 10 News Thursday emphasized that they are individuals, community members and dedicated professionals who chose careers in service to the public.
“This is a noble job we do,” said John Hubert, a TSA officer and AFGE Local 558 president. “We intend to keep doing the job for the American public. The majority of the federal workforce is outside of Washington, D.C. We are also members of the community and usually leaders in the community. I am a football coach for my son’s (6u to 8u flag football Hallandale PAL Bravehearts) team.”
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Albert Rose, a TSA officer and AFGE Local 558 representative, echoed those sentiments.
“We are U.S. citizens, patriots, Democrats, Republicans, independents. We work hard, we are dedicated to this country, and we love this country,” he said. “We hope the public can support us because we are regular people just like you.”
However, some civil servants are feeling demoralized amid pressures from Washington that, according to labor attorney Mark Berkowitz, could face legal challenges leading to the Supreme Court.
“It seems that the only check right now is the courts against what the administration is doing,” Berkowitz said. “Congress, I don’t think, is going to be an effective check.”
Nancy Rohwedder, a retired Iowa City VA Hospital employee who served for 32 years, expressed her concerns.
“I just think that it [mass firings] is illegal and it is cruel to these families,” she said. “I think there is a better way because everyone knows there is government waste, but you are also losing a lot of their knowledge and history. Probationary just means you have been there less than a year, it doesn’t mean you are a bad employee. I think it should be on merit.”
“It was rewarding work, but the things that are going on now — I just can’t fathom being employed right now,” Rohwedder added. “Federal workers are very dedicated, yet they are sometimes treated like pawns.”
The debate over mass firings of federal employees has intensified, particularly after a video obtained by ProPublica featured Russell Vought, the architect of Project 2025 and now the White House budget director, stating: “We want to put them in trauma because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.”
Vought added, “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work. We want their funding to be shut down so that the EPA can’t do all of the rules against our energy industry because they have no bandwidth financially to do so.”
Hubert responded, “Longtime dedicated public servants are now being demonized, as if we are doing something we are not supposed to do or being overpaid, which is a lie.”
“We consistently show up for the American public and do a good job,” said Rose.
Berkowitz raised concerns about the future of the federal workforce.
“Civil servants serve across a variety of administrations. They are nonpartisan, and that is the strength of the federal workforce,” he said. “I am very concerned we are going to lose that. We are going to have administration loyalists replace nonpartisan civil service workers, and I question what the quality of service will be. These employees perform very important functions — clean air, clean water, safety functions.”
He warned that placing partisan loyalists in key positions could have serious consequences.
“They may not have loyalty to the law; they may only have loyalty to a person, the administration. And that is very dangerous for us,” Berkowitz added.
Federal employees, especially those on probationary status, have reported receiving abrupt termination notices.
Berkowitz, who has received an influx of calls from federal workers, advised them to review a recent ruling that temporarily halted some firings.
“About a week ago, the administration moved to terminate probationary employees — easier to terminate because they don’t have full protections,” he said. “They were obviously scared and sad, getting emails that just said, ‘We don’t need your services anymore’ and giving them a relatively short period of time — like a week or 10 days — to pack up and go.”
He also encouraged affected employees to contact the Office of Special Counsel in Washington.
“A recent ruling indicated that probationary employees do have rights,” Berkowitz added. “The administration did not implement these terminations properly, so there has been a stay in the firing of six probationary employees who filed complaints. Every probationary employee who has gotten a pink slip should jump on the Office of Special Counsel.”
Despite the uncertainty, federal workers say they remain committed to serving the public.
“All of a sudden, we are like a punchline now,” Hubert said. “I want everyone to know that we are dedicated to the mission of the American public. Whatever you think about us, we will come to work no matter what because we believe in our mission.”
Rohwedder emphasized that the public will feel the impact of these cuts sooner rather than later.
“At what point do you think Americans will feel the impact of losing federal workers across so many different departments? I think it will be very soon,” she said. “There’s no doubt about it. Who is going to do the work?”
The following document aligns with Berkowitz’s guidance for federal workers.