Federal Unionists Network (FUN)

Background

The Federal Unionists Network traces its origins to 2019, when a small informal group of federal workers comprised mostly of members of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and workers at the National Labor Relations Board organized via a WhatsApp group to oppose the 2019 federal government shutdown, at that time operating under the name Federal Workers Coalition. That iteration dissolved after the shutdown, but the network was revived as the Federal Unionists Network in 2022, when a group of federal union local leaders began coordinating to pressure Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to fill vacancies on the Federal Labor Relations Authority. That campaign did not succeed, but the network continued to develop, and FUN held its first in-person gathering at the 2024 Labor Notes Conference, drawing approximately 60 members from multiple agencies and unions. ^{4 5}

Following the January 2025 inauguration of President Donald Trump, FUN grew rapidly in membership and public profile, expanding from a loose informal network to a structured organization operating under the fiscal sponsorship of the Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute (ACRE Institute), a left-wing Chicago-based advocacy group that campaigns on racial and economic issues. The group posted a job description for a national organizing director in 2025, advertising a salary of over $160,000. ⁶

FUN operates in close coordination with Branch4, a parallel organization that describes itself as the “organizational home” of FUN and other federal worker organizing initiatives. ⁷

Activities

The Federal Unionists Network’s primary activities consist of worker-to-worker organizing, public demonstrations, coalition outreach to allied labor and advocacy organizations, and production of organizing toolkits designed to help federal employees mobilize colleagues. The group organized the “Save Our Services” national day of action on February 19, 2025, across approximately 30 cities, including a lunchtime picket of about 250 workers at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan and an evening rally drawing about 750 at nearby Foley Square. ^{8 9}

In New York City, FUN’s NYC Hub hosted weekly demonstrations near Federal Plaza and Foley Square in Lower Manhattan throughout 2025. At the May Day 2025 rally at Foley Square, which drew a reported crowd exceeding 15,000, FUN co-organized protest activity alongside unions including the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council. ⁴

In January 2026, the FUN NYC Hub participated as a coalition member in a New York City rally and march titled “No Wars, No Kings, No ICE,” organized alongside NYC DSA, Rise and Resist, the People’s Forum, Jewish Voice for Peace NYC, and other left-wing organizations. ¹⁰ FUN NYC also participated in the Hands off NYC Coalition for a protest titled “ICE Out For Good” which also included the NYC DSA, the Young Communist League, the Party for Socialism, and Communist Party USA. ¹¹

FUN has close ties to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and has been embraced by multiple DSA chapters as a priority partner organization. The East Bay DSA designated support for FUN as a central campaign priority for 2025. DSA chapters in San Francisco and elsewhere similarly identified FUN members among their own active membership. ^{12 13}

FUN’s website directs federal workers seeking to form new unions to the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC), a joint project of DSA and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers for organizing support and training. ³

Statements and Rhetoric

The Federal Unionists Network’s co-executive director Chris Dols made inflammatory characterizations during a July 2025 interview with the left-wing On the Line podcast. In discussing the ideology of the Trump administration, Dols said: “The ‘Christian’ part is just decoration. The white nationalism builds their base. But ultimately, these are people who will pursue extreme violence if it serves their class interests.” In an earlier appearance on Democracy Now!, Dols described the Trump administration’s workforce reductions as “about gutting the services that create a safety net in this country, because the more miserable we are, the easier it is for them to exploit us.” ^{14 15}