The Protect Our Checks National Day of Action brought out the crowds on Aug. 16 in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.
The rally was part of nationwide celebrations to mark the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, signed into law on Aug. 14, 1935, by President Franklin Roosevelt. But the events included warnings of the ongoing cuts to Social Security benefits such as raising the retirement age and projections of benefit payment reductions by 2034. And since the start of this administration, the Trump-Musk-DOGE tyranny has fired at least 7,000 Social Security Administration employees, causing delays in SSA phone service and Web site access, among other setbacks.
In a conversation with other Social Security advocates, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, expressed her disdain towards those harming Social Security: “The threats to dismantle Social Security are really serious. To have something that the majority of the country really wants and wants to keep … and to watch the amount of energy and action that is used to undermine it …”
Back in Wilkes-Barre, Jessica Lapointe, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, took to the microphone to warn that Social Security’s mission of community-based service is being replaced with impersonal chatbots and AI weirdness while field offices shut down. Here are excerpts from her speech:
“AFGE Council 220 represents over 25,000 Social Security workers in field offices, tele-service centers, card centers and your communities across this great nation. I’m here from Madison, Wisc., where the Wisconsin idea gave birth to Social Security 90 years ago on Thursday. I’m here to tell you the truth about your program. Because it’s your money. Never forget that …
“For 90 years, Social Security workers have had this country’s back. Through wars, depression, recessions, 9-11, pandemics, through every struggle Americans have faced, we have been there for you. We are mission-driven. The customer service reps, claim specialists, technical experts, benefit authorizers, decision writers, benefits and records technicians, IT specialists, quality reviewers and more. We are a dedicated federal workforce.
“For 90 years, we’ve kept America’s greatest anti-poverty success story alive. We serve widows, orphans, the elderly, disabled, every vulnerable soul in your families and in your communities because you deserve respect and dignity when you apply for your earned benefits …
“In March of this year, they sent this so-called Department of Government Efficiency in to gut your Social Security workforce … [someone said ‘Elon’ referring to Elon Musk] Yes, he and the rest of them, the billionaires, executed the largest staffing cuts in SSA’s 90-year rich history. And due to a decade-long understaffing crisis in the making, these were workers you could not afford to lose. Because listen, we’re administering benefits, your earned benefits, to the Baby Boomers who are retiring at a rate of 10,000 a day.
“Where are my Baby Boomers at? [crowd cheers] Exactly. Exactly. We affectionately refer to you at the Social Security Administration as the Silver Tsunami. We love you all but there are so many of you and there are too few of us. [someone shouts ‘We love you.’] Thank you. It’s mutual.
“Since July, they have been reassigning more workers away from your community-based field offices, right here in Wilkes-Barre, across Pennsylvania and the 57 field offices across this country. They closed one of them down, which you will hear about today. They’re reassigning workers out, so you can no longer reach your community-based case worker to access your community-based earned benefits. Is that okay? [crowd shouts ‘No!’]
“They’re dismantling community-based service that has been the cornerstone of Social Security for almost a century. And they’re hiding the data. They’re hiding the data that shows the service declines. Do not let them hide that data!
“Right now, with too few workers to handle your claims and issues timely, benefits and services delayed are earned benefits and services denied. And they’re cherry-picking the stats, creating smoke-and-mirror improvements, shuffling staff around like deck chairs on a sinking Titanic ship … While simultaneously stripping workers’ rights and benefits, dismantling our union …
“Employee morale is at an all-time low. Is this any way to treat hard-working, dedicated, extremely skilled federal unionized Social Security workers? [crowd shouts ‘NO!’]
“So, what’s their plan? Does anybody know? [crowd murmurs answers] All of the above — a manufactured crisis, claim the agency is beyond repair, bust our unions, replace skilled federal workers with contractors and AI, expose your private data and take your $2.7 trillion dollar surplus — your money from your hard work from the sweat of your own brow — and privatize it all.
“Also, your corporate CEOs can make record profits off of your communities, off of your earned benefits … That’s right, it’s shameful. But here’s what they forgot: We don’t work for them. Who do we work for? We work for you, the American people. We’re Social Security worker strong. The workers that remain are not backing down.
“We refuse to abandon you … For 90 years we’ve had your back. Right now, we need you to have ours. We need a worker and retiree movement so big they will know they’ve messed with the wrong working and retired class America. Because when Social Security is under attack, what do we do? [the crowd shouts ‘fight back!’] When Social Security is under attack, what do we do? [the crowd shouts, ‘fight back!’] Because who are we? We are Social Security strong! Repeat after me: Who are we? [the crowd shouts, ‘Social Security strong!’] Who are we? [‘Social Security strong!’]”
See the entire rally on You Tube: tinyurl.com/Iguana2290