Episode Details

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was once the global gold standard for public health. Today, it faces an existential workforce crisis.

In this high-stakes episode, Yolanda Jacobs, President of AFGE Local 2883, pulls back the curtain on the "systematic dismantling" of the CDC. From the elimination of the agency’s EEO office to the mass terminations that left critical health programs in the dark, Jacobs details a workforce in "the gutter" and an institution operating without a permanent director or a recognized union contract.

We dive deep into the specific human and operational costs of the 2025–2026 restructuring, including:

• The Accommodation Crisis: How the elimination of the EEO office on April 1, 2025, has left veterans with PTSD and disabled workers hired under Schedule A facing AWOL charges and removal proposals.
• The 15-Minute Cutoff: A look at the "indiscriminate" layoffs in February and April 2025, where scientists were cut off from their research files with just minutes of notice, erasing years of progress in chronic disease prevention.
• Contract "Reneging": Why management has stopped honoring the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), forcing the union to vacate its space and triggering national-level litigation.
• The Financial Irony: How the denial of reasonable accommodations has triggered over 200 EEO complaints, generating millions in legal fees that contradict the administration's "efficiency" mandate.

This isn’t just a labor story—it’s a warning about the stability of the nation’s public health infrastructure.

Learn More & Take Action:

• Stay updated on federal worker rights: afge.org
• Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast for daily labor insights.