The Democratic National Committee (DNC) sparked controversy after it announced layoffs with just one day’s notice, offering no severance to the affected employees. This decision has been met with sharp criticism from the DNC Staff Union, which accused the leadership of betraying the party’s core values.
According to an Axios report, the union pointed out that unlike the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz campaign staff, who received severance, these DNC employees were left without any additional compensation. The union emphasized that these layoffs weren’t just the usual post-election staff adjustments but included permanent employees who were assured job security. The lack of severance, especially after a record-breaking fundraising period for the DNC, has been described as a move that contradicts the party’s public stance on workers’ rights.
The union expressed frustration over what it called “callous and short-sighted mismanagement” by the DNC’s senior leadership, particularly highlighting the roles of Chair Jaime Harrison and Executive Director Sam Cornale. The union criticized DNC leadership for not providing an explanation or transparency on how these decisions were made or if more layoffs were on the horizon.
Someone familiar with the DNC suggested that the layoffs are simply a reality of a “really brutal [election] loss,” suggesting that the current generation of DNC employees are experiencing such a loss for the first time.
This situation has led the union to demand not only severance for all those impacted but also to call for more honest and transparent communication from the DNC. Leaders from the country’s largest labor unions notably stumped for the Democratic Party at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois this summer. The decision by the DNC to lay off its own workers without severance raises questions about the party’s internal practices and contrasts with the principles it advocates publicly.