The Democratic National Committee workers’ union on Monday condemned layoffs by the organization, saying permanent employees were terminated last week with one day’s notice and no severance pay.

While staff jobs at campaign offices routinely end after elections, the DNC laid off permanent employees, including people who had been told their positions would continue after the election, the staff union said in a statement.

As the party reels from election losses that cost it the presidency and majorities in both congressional chambers, grapples with questions about its identity and prepares to decide who will lead it as Donald Trump returns to the White House, the layoffs inject internal turmoil into the DNC’s post-election reboot. The union hinted at discord, alleging that people in the organization had made decisions during the campaign that “created this situation.”

“The DNC’s senior leadership has chosen to leave loyal staff scrambling to cover rent, medical expenses and childcare costs,” the union’s statement said.

The cuts were announced starting on Wednesday night and were effective Friday; and DNC leaders did not tell staff how the layoffs were determined or whether additional cuts are planned, according to the union. Those laid off included people who had been with the organization for 40 years, the union said.

The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.

The union also noted in its statement that Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign gave staff severance after the campaign ended, questioning the DNC’s decision not to do the same and noting that the committee had carried out massive fundraising. The union criticized DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and Executive Director Sam Cornale for not addressing the staff in-person.

“The DNC staff is proud of the values that our party stands for,” the union said. “We want to make it clear, however, that the principles we champion on the national stage have been disregarded in our own workplace.”

(c) Washington Post