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Civil Service Strong

Website:

civilservicestrong.org
Project of:

Democracy Forward

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Civil Service Strong is a coalition of left-of-center legal groups, advocacy groups, and public-sector unions pledged to provide career federal employees with legal assistance, union representation, and a “response network” for those facing layoffs or reassignment under  The Second Trump Administration. The coalition has also vowed to track what they called “ongoing attacks on the civil service,” including efforts to shrink the federal workforce. 1 2

Though it has at least 10 member organizations, Civil Service Strong is a project of Democracy Forward, a litigation and advocacy group. 1

Background

Civil Service Strong is a coalition of at least 10 left-leaning legal groups, advocacy groups, and unions that says it is trying to protect career federal employees from the policies of President Donald Trump. 3

It is a project of Democracy Forward, a left-leaning litigation and advocacy group, for which leading Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias is the chairman of the board. 3 4

Beyond Democracy Forward, Civil Service Strong’s other affiliate organizations include two federal employee unions, the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union for federal employees, and the National Federation of Federal Employees; two non-federal employee unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the nation’s largest public sector union, and the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second largest teacher’s union; as well as left-leaning advocacy groups Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Government Accountability Project, the Project on Government Oversight, the State Democracy Defenders Fund, and Protect Democracy. 3 1

The Civil Service Strong website identifies “some of the organizations,” and lists the 10 groups. It is not clear if there are more entities involved in the coalition. 1

Skye Perryman, the CEO of Democracy Forward, called Civil Service Strong “a one-stop shop site that we are hoping will help enable the American public, including civil servants, to be able to access the services they need.” 2

Rob Shriver is the managing director of Civil Service Strong. Shriver is the former acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, appointed to the post by President Joe Biden. 5  Shriver said in January 2025:

“I am thrilled to be able to join Democracy Forward in this capacity, leading the Civil Service Strong and good government initiatives, because I know that Democracy Forward not only shares my values in making sure that the government serves all American people, but has been fighting for that for many years. The White House is looking to drive out and sideline career expert employees who have been hired based on their merit, based on their knowledge skills and abilities, in favor of unqualified, unvetted political loyalists who the Trump administration is looking to surge into the White House and these agencies.” 5

Civil Service Strong contends that federal employees in the civil service are nonpolitical, and engage in jobs in all 50 states such as keeping food, medicine, transportation, and water safe; securing public safety and national security; delivering mail; and supporting education and health care systems. It argues 70 percent of civil servants work in defense and security-related departments. 6

Activities

In December 2024, the Civil Service Strong coalition said it would provide resources for 2.2 million federal bureaucrats who fear layoffs or reassignment and said it will serve as a legal response network and provide employees information on their rights under civil service protection. 3

The American Federation of Government Employees, a labor union that represents 800,000 federal workers, describes Civil Service Strong as an online clearinghouse to share best practices and aid federal workers to exercise their rights. The coalition also directs employees to entities such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Merit Systems Protection Board as resources to protect their jobs. 7

Rob Shriver, managing director of Civil Service Strong, said President Donald Trump’s executive order to do away with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies was an effort to sideline career employees in favor of political loyalists. Shriver said, “Given the broad brush that they have painted, it’s potentially very large numbers of people.” 8

Civil Service Strong provides information about employee rights, legal representation, and whistleblowing. 9 The coalition says it will provide union support and help to connect federal employees seeking union representation to their appropriate contact. It says it provides information on employment rights across federal agencies, and centralizes the resources. 3

The coalition says it will track and publish what it perceives as attacks on federal employees such as reductions in force to specific agencies or departments. The coalition also says it will provide publicly accessible research regarding the civil service. 3

Litigation

The Civil Service Strong coalition says it is a legal response network to house information on accessing legal resources for federal employees. 3

In December 2024, Civil Service Strong held a call for federal employees in which participants advised employees to reduce their presence online, and to avoid sharing personal details. One participant said the lawyers were ready to fight the Second Trump administration’s plan for a new job classification known as Schedule F, which would mean up to 5 percent of the federal career workforce would lose civil service protections. 2

Democracy Forward represented coalition members the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in a lawsuit challenging Schedule F classification. 10

By early February 2025, Democracy Forward touted that it was involved in nine legal challenges against the Trump administration. Norm Eisen, the founder of another member organization, State Democracy Defenders Fund, announced his organization would file at least 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration in 2025. 11

References

  1. “About Us.” Civil Service Strong. Accesses February 14, 2025. https://www.civilservicestrong.org/about-us
  2. Scherer, Michael; O’Connell, Jonathan; and Rein, Lisa. “Federal employee groups prepare to fend off attacks by Trump and allies.” Washington Post. December 18, 2024. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/18/federal-employees-trump-schedule-f/
  3. Press Release. “Broad Coalition Launches “Civil Service Strong” – New Effort Supporting Civil Servants Across The Country.” Democracy Forward. December 19, 2024. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://democracyforward.org/updates/broad-coalition-launches-civil-service-strong-new-effort-supporting-civil-servants-across-the-country/#:~:text=Civil%20Service%20Strong%20is%20an,nation%2C%20and%20support%20our%20communities.
  4. “Our Board.” Democracy Forward. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://democracyforward.org/board/
  5. Press Release. “ICYMI: Highlights from Democracy Forward Press Call on Early Litigation Against the Trump Admin Attacks on Civil Service.” Democracy Forward. January 22, 2025. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://democracyforward.org/updates/icymi-highlights-from-democracy-forward-press-call-on-early-litigation-against-the-trump-admin-attacks-on-civil-service/
  6. “Civil Service 101.” Civil Service Strong. Accessed February 14, 2025 https://www.civilservicestrong.org/civil-service-101
  7. Press Release. “AFGE, Allies Launch Civil Service Strong to Help Federal Workers Understand, Exercise Their Rights.” American Federation of Government Employees. January 13, 2025. Accessed February 14, 2025.  https://www.afge.org/article/afge-allies-launch-civil-service-strong-to-help-federal-workers-understand-exercise-their-rights/
  8. Hsu, Andrea. “Trump calls DEI programs ‘illegal.’ He plans to end them in the federal government.” NPR. January 23, 2025. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://www.wosu.org/npr-news/2025-01-23/trump-calls-dei-programs-illegal-he-plans-to-end-them-in-the-federal-government
  9. Press Release. “What AFGE Is Doing: A Recap of AFGE’s Major Actions Against Trump’s Attacks on Civil Service.” American Federation of Government Employees. February 3, 2025. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.afge.org/article/what-afge-is-doing-a-recap-of-afges-major-actions-against-trumps-attacks-on-civil-service/
  10. Wiessner, Daniel. “Trump’s plan to reclassify, fire federal workers challenged by unions.” Reuters. January 29, 2025. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-plan-ease-firing-federal-workers-challenged-by-union-2025-01-29/
  11. Lucas, Fred. “Lawfare: Web of Leftist Groups Working in Tandem to Tie Up Trump Agenda in Court.” Daily Signal. February 12, 2025. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/02/12/lawfare-web-leftist-groups-working-tandem-tie-up-trump-agenda-court/
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