The Solidarity Center, Global March Against Child Labour, and the American Institutes for Research are filing a lawsuit against the US Department of Labor (DOL) over the termination of labor rights programs. Calling DOL’s action “unlawful,” the group is seeking to stop the cuts, the Guardian reports. They contend that Congress authorized the programs, and the secretary of labor lacks the authority to make the cancellations. 

Cuts an “indiscriminate meat axe” 

In March, Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge), announced the cancellation of around $577 million dollars in government grants. Calling the cancelled programs “America last” Doge is claiming the cuts will help American workers and businesses.

Conversely, labor rights advocates are calling the cuts an “indiscriminate meat axe.” They say American workers and businesses will suffer due to the loss of labor protections abroad. Though not currently part of the suit, the AFL-CIO and the American Apparel & Footwear Association also criticized the cuts. They said the cuts enabled the degradation of labor and business standards abroad. And that “puts American workers and American businesses last.”

Thea Lee, who served as deputy undersecretary for international labor affairs at the US Department of Labor from 2021 to 2025 said,  

“It’s just so frustrating to read the shallow and useless justifications that are being put out on Twitter by the secretary of labor and the Doge crowd… It’s ignorant. It’s self-defeating, and it’s wasteful and inefficient.” 

Lee also pointed out the funding cuts risked destroying decades of hard-won bipartisan business and labor agreements. Lee and other experts feel the cuts show a high level of ignorance about how the global economy works. And the lack of understanding about corporations long-term sourcing and investment decisions will have negative impacts. Impacts felt mostly by American workers, businesses, and consumers.  

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