The JPL Town Hall on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 left us, again, with more questions than answers. Prior to the Town Hall, JPL workers signed and delivered an open letter to Director Dave Gallagher asking for additional information about the necessity of layoffs and how decisions were made. By joining together, JPLers made it clear that we want increased accountability, and our collective power prompted Dir. Gallagher to respond to many of our questions. In conversations with colleagues, I have heard many JPL workers still feel unsure of how the layoffs and reorg increase efficiency or make the Lab more competitive. How are you feeling about the Town Hall and the reorg? Fill out our contact form to share your thoughts.
While I appreciate upper management’s effort to ensure future success for JPL, I believe that our voices and contributions would strengthen the Lab during these uncertain times. Through collective bargaining, workers like us (who have intimate knowledge of day-to-day responsibilities and needs on our teams) would have a say in policies that impact our working conditions, which would ensure that critical work is protected and actual inefficiencies are addressed. JPL workers together can improve decision making, increase collaboration, and further innovation.
JPLers make plans to talk with coworkers about forming our union.
While upper management has been issuing layoffs and implementing the reorg, JPL workers have actively been working with UAW members to increase funding for Lab. JPLers met with state legislators to advance a $23 million bond measure to fund science in California and advocated for NASA funding with members of Congress (including Rep. Judy Chu, who posted her support for JWU). As unionized workers, we can collaborate with the 125,000 research and academic workers in UAW to protect our jobs and science funding.
JPL workers organizing with JWU have also received many questions about the accuracy of the information on management’s “Be Informed” website. After careful review, we noticed that some of upper management’s responses were either misleading or incorrect, so we have provided additional information and context on their website. Many of us spent time learning more to provide accurate responses to their misinformation, and we encourage you to do the same! We also requested that upper management host a town hall with JWU organizers so JPLers can get accurate information and a balanced perspective on unionization, but management denied this request. JPL workers deserve clarity about what’s at stake, and understanding the facts helps us make a decision that benefits JPL’s mission.
I’m excited about all the work we’re doing together to have more say in our workplace. If you have unanswered questions or would like to talk with your coworkers about forming a union, please continue to reach out.
Best,
Tom Moline
Mission Planning Systems Engineer III
325C