FIRED
BUT FIGHTING

A coalition of fired CDC employees and allies.

In 2025, thousands of CDC employees were abruptly terminated and RIF’d under the guise of performance management and workforce reduction. Fired But Fighting is a network of former CDC professionals—scientists, communicators, policy analysts, public health experts—who are standing together to demand transparency, accountability, and justice. We are speaking out not just for ourselves, but for the future of public service and the protection of public health.

Breaking News and Announcements

Official RIF Guidance from AFGE Local 2883
April 10: Fired But Fighting launched a new FAQ page
April 9: Judge Alsup in California is considering only including AFGE members in the reinstatement cases.
April 8: The Supreme Court has ruled that probationary employees do not need to be reinstated while lawsuits are pending.
April 1: Maryland judge declines to include non-plaintiff states in the TRO reinstating probationary employees. Read the Order.
April 1: Fired But Fighting launched social media accounts. Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram for updates and resources.
April 1: Join the LinkedIn job board. This job board has been endorsed by Dr. Cohen and is a great resource for connecting former CDC staff with new opportunities.
Sign up for the Fired But Fighting newsletter. A new issue is sent every Thursday and includes judicial and legislative updates, media, events, and resources.