DNC staffers fired with one day notice and no severance, union sounds off

The Democratic National Committee is under fire by the union representing staffers who were reportedly fired with little notice and no severance pay.

Despite touting itself as the party that champions unions and workers’ rights, the DNC thought little of its own staff and kicked them to the curb with one day’s notice. The DNC Staff Union went public with their complaints and staffers, who raked in record-breaking fundraising during the presidential campaign, took to social media to call them out.

“The Democratic National Committee is facing the fallout of callous and short-sighted mismanagement by senior leadership,” the union statement read.

“Starting Wednesday night, permanent employees were notified of their termination, effective Friday and with no severance pay. DNC leadership refuses to disclose to the DNC Staff Union the full extent of these layoffs and whether additional cuts are planned,” the statement continued. “These cuts go far beyond typical campaign turnover and impact employees who were previously told their positions would be retained after the election.”

“Despite record-breaking fundraising, the DNC failed to provide any financial support to those who have tirelessly served the Democratic Party and its mission,” the union continued.

The DNC’s Chair Jaime Harrison and Executive Director Sam Cornale “refuse to address their staff face to face” and have reportedly not given any reasoning behind the abrupt move.

“Unlike the Harris-Walz campaign, which provided three weeks of severance to its staff, the DNC’s senior leadership has chosen to leave loyal staff scrambling to cover rent, medical expenses, and childcare costs,” the statement continued, underscoring the “financial uncertainty” for many of the staffers.

“Scores of experienced staff, some who have been here as many as four decades, will see their institutional knowledge vanish overnight due to this rushed mass layoff,” the union contended, noting that those responsible for creating the problem remain on the payroll.

“The DNC staff is proud of the values that our party stands for,” the statement read. “We want to make it clear, however, that the principles we champion on the national stage have been disregarded in our own workplace. The process of regaining the trust of the American people must start with living our party’s values.”

Some union members took to social media to blast the DNC.

“As a union member and a DNC member, I’m pretty appalled by the treatment of staff. Layoffs with a day’s notice and no severance? This isn’t how we uphold our values,” one wrote on X. “Respect for labor must begin at home. We owe staff so much better.”

“No severance. No communication. No respect for workers and certainly not for ‘Democratic values’. The DNC has blindsided employees and violated the standards we set for ourselves as Democrats. There is still time to do the right thing,” read a post by the North Carolina Democratic Party Staff Union.

One day after the election, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign was reported to have been $20 million in debt during the campaign’s final week.

Social media users reacted to the statement on X:

Frieda Powers

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