Clallam Seniors: “Save Social Security Workers’ Jobs!”

Port Angeles -- Senior citizens picketed the Federal Building here June 10 in opposition to the firing of 7,500 Social Security workers with thousands more targeted to lose their jobs in the coming days.

The protesters held picket signs that proclaimed, “We Stand with Social Security Workers! Stop Trump Job Cuts!” and “Stop the CUTS to our Social Security Staff.” Passing motorists honked their car horns and gave thumbs-up salutes. Pedestrians stopped to thank the protesters.

The picket line here was part of a nationwide protest against the job terminations called by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 220. The action here was sponsored by Clallam County Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA). It was joined by many members of the Clallam County Democratic Party. The organizer of the sign-wave was Clallam County PSARA leader, Lisa Dekker, who held overhead her handmade sign, “Social Security is a LIFELINE!”

The job terminations were first proposed by trillionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE agents invaded the U.S. Treasury Department building and stole the protected Social Security numbers and ID from tens of millions of recipients in flagrant violation of Federal “identity theft” laws. Dekker is spearheading PSARA’s campaign urging Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown to join in the drive to prosecute Musk and all the other thieves who engaged in this identity theft.

Already, six of the ten regional offices of the Social Security Administration (SSA) have been closed due to the job cutbacks. The Trump Administration has ordered SSA to reduce by half the number of in-person visits serviced by SSA field representatives forcing claim-seekers to rely on phone service for their claims. Wait times for those seeking help from Social Security field representatives is now as long as two hours and getting worse. SSA is shifting over to AI (Artificial Intelligence) to service claims. AI is incapable of handling complicated issues, especially for disabled people.

PSARA leader, Steve Kofahl, former President of AFGE Local 3937, representing Social Security field representatives, warns that the 1200 community field offices, key to the functioning of Social Security, are especially at risk of closing. Kofahl says the aim of Trump and the MAGAs, is to terminate at least half the Social Security workforce that numbered about 60,000 before the termination of 7,500 jobs. That means a total of 30,000 Social Security jobs are targeted for termination. The protesters warned that the termination of these jobs will be followed with sharp cuts in benefits---or privatization---of Social Security that serves 75 million people across the nation. One sign in the crowd read, “1st they CUT Soc.-Sec. Jobs. 2nd OUR BENEFITS!”

As if to underline the menace, the Social Security Administration (SSA) released its annual audit yesterday warning that the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted by the year 2032 and benefits will be slashed 22%, an average cut of $500 monthly for each recipient.

Republicans are already proclaiming that the answer is to raise the retirement age from 67 to 69 years. It means that millions of workers employed in dangerous and hazardous jobs will die before they collect a penny of the benefits they paid for from every pay-check. Other corporate ultra-rightists are advocating privatization or outright repeal of the Social Security program signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, August 14, 1935.

One PSARA member was wearing his lapel pin that proclaims, “Strengthen Social Security: SCRAP THE CAP!” This PSARA pin promotes the simplest solution to shortfalls in the Trust Fund. Currently, income above $184,500 is exempt from the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax. If this cap was ended, all income would be subject to the Social Security tax, every dollar raked in by millionaires and billionaires would be taxed. It would bring in tens of billions in revenues, enough to end forever Social Security deficits, enough to cover a much needed increase in Social Security benefits for every one of those now receiving a monthly SS check.