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labour relations

CFPB places union leader on leave without stating allegations

Illustration accompanying article: CFPB places union leader on leave without stating allegations
  • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has placed Stephen Wheeler, a data scientist and chair of the bureau's union organizing committee, on administrative leave without specifying violations or the scope of the investigation.
  • The National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 335 said the bureau provided no specific violations or details of the investigation into Wheeler.
  • Wheeler characterized the action as "bullying and intimidation for union activity and protected speech" and called the investigation "a fishing expedition."
  • The suspension follows a June 2026 appeals court ruling that blocked attempted mass firings at the bureau by the Trump administration.
  • The Trump administration has sought to dismantle the bureau since the start of the president's second term; Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought halted most of the bureau's work in February 2025.
  • Wheeler's case follows the February 2026 firing of Alexis Goldstein, another union member who said she was dismissed after confronting staff with Elon Musk's so-called "department of government efficiency."
 2026-08-13 · 3 MIN READ

Cummins pledges to prioritize TSA officers at confirmation hearing

Illustration accompanying article: Cummins pledges to prioritize TSA officers at confirmation hearing
  • David Cummins, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration, told senators at his confirmation hearing Thursday that his first task would be to visit airports and reassure employees.
  • Cummins described the existing private airport screening program as "pro-worker" and said it would not threaten the TSA workforce.
  • If confirmed, Cummins would take over an agency with thousands of employees responsible for security operations at airports nationwide.
  • The TSA has been grappling with staffing and morale issues after this year's partial government shutdown left thousands of officers working without pay and prompted about 1,100 to quit.
 2026-07-16 · 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Wind project workers say Trump's stop-work orders cost them jobs