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The Secretary General of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Manuel Calderón Cerame, announced Thursday that the institution’s Governing Board has unanimously approved a resolution to support federal employees in Puerto Rico who have been terminated by the administrations of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
The resolution asked the governor to employ displaced federal workers.
“The labor crisis in the federal government, driven by Republican policies, has also impacted Puerto Rico. Currently, hundreds of federal employees on the island have been laid off due to the actions of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the director of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In addition to expressing our solidarity with these unjustly fired federal employees, we call on Governor Jenniffer González to take all necessary steps to employ these individuals, as fiscal resources allow. They possess the experience, skills, and commitment to serve the public,” stated Calderón Cerame.
He emphasized that the Popular Democratic Party has always defended workers’ rights and condemned similar measures in the past. For example, they highlight Law 7 from the Luis Fortuño administration, which was approved with the support of the current governor Jenniffer González Colón and the president of the Senate, Thomas Rivera Schatz, resulting in significant layoffs.
It is widely known, through the National Union of Treasury Employees, that the Republican administration has already laid off 200 of the 4,000 IRS employees in Puerto Rico. Recently, the resident commissioner and president of the PPD, Pablo José Hernández Rivera, gave a speech before the federal chamber advocating for the federal employees from Puerto Rico who were laid off. He outlined the steps his office will take to inform them of their rights and urged the Puerto Rican government to provide assistance.
“In his speech, the Resident Commissioner and PPD President expressed the concerns of Puerto Rican federal employees affected by the harsh treatment they have received from the federal government. He highlighted the impact of layoffs on vulnerable populations, such as veterans,” added Calderón Cerame. Hernández Rivera also announced that his office will create a resource page on its website, www.hernandez.house.gov, dedicated to laid-off federal employees.
