AFGE Members Fight Back!

Pay cuts. Furloughs. Hiring freezes. Pension hikes. Federal employees have been taking it on the chin during this ongoing economic downturn, and we think that enough is enough!

AFGE members are taking it to the streets to tell their lawmakers that federal employees didn’t create this economic crisis and we can’t be the only ones made to sacrifice. We are holding rallies and town hall meetings in congressional districts across the nation, emailing and phoning our lawmakers and joining forces with other progressive groups to spread the message that we can’t balance the budget on the backs of the working class.

To keep track of the latest happenings, bookmark AFGE’s Take Action web page. Visit the page often to see what you can do to tell Congress that federal employees have sacrificed enough!

 

 

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Executive Order 10988

AFGE National Vice President of Women and Fair Practices, Augusta Thomas, and Director of OPM, John Berry celebrate the 50th Anniversay of collective bargaining for federal government employees.

January 17th marked the 50^th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of Executive Order 10988, which began collective bargaining in the federal government. Not only did this Executive Order permit workers to join and engage in union activity but it also set the stage for expanding these rights under Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter. It demonstrated a true bipartisan show of support from past presidents for the right of federal workers to have a voice on the job, and an ability to positively impact their livelihoods.

At a time when government workers are currently under partisan attack, recognizing the significance of Executive Order 10988 is especially important to remind everyone of the long journey government workers have taken, and to re-energize workers for the battles ahead.

The AFL-CIO commemorated this historic occasion on Tuesday, January 17^th at its headquarters. National Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was one of the honorable guests as well as AFGE National Vice President, Augusta Thomas; AFL-CIO National Secretary- Treasurer, Liz Shuler; and Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry .

Click here to view Executive Order 10988.

AFGE VA Local 1843 President Kelvin Flannery Discusses Challenges Facing the VA

AFGE VA Local 1843 President Kelvin Flannery discusses the negative impact of budget cuts on the Department of Veterans Affairs and how it affects the agency’s ability to attract and retain the best talent.

AFGE Member Publishes Guide for Veterans Seeking Federal Employment

AFGE Local 3258 member and US Navy Veteran, Mark Butler, returned home from active duty in January 2008 in the midst of the recession. Despite having numerous qualifications, Butler was heavily affected by the economy and subsequent job freeze.

While he was not immediately successful on the job front, Butler’s experiences applying for jobs inspired him to write a book that offers tips for other veterans looking for federal government employment. Butler’s book, The Coffee Break Guide: For Veterans Seeking Federal Employment, provides employment guidelines to both veterans and disabled veterans.

“I soon realized that there was much needed information buried in the arcane OPM websites, residing in the well of numerous veterans’ personal experience and in my own experience in living through the process and that there were a lot of veterans who could use the information and that putting it all together in plain language, as one veteran to another, would be something worth doing and that it would be something worth sharing,” says Butler. Butler helps readers understand the federal employment process and what veterans can do to get preference in the employment process.

You can read more about the Butler’s book and purchase a copy here.

AFGE Local 1302 Treasurer Mike Schnobrich Discusses the Impact of Budget Cuts on the Bureau of Prisons

AFGE BOP Local 1302 Treasurer Mike Schnobrich discusses why he joined the federal work force and the devastating effects of budgets cuts on the Bureau of Prisons.

AFGE VA Local 31 Secretary-Treasurer Darlene Estell Voices Her Concerns With Budget Cuts

AFGE VA Local 31 Secretary-Treasurer Darlene Estell talks about the impact of budget cuts and pay freezes on rank and file government employees.

AFGE Social Security Administration Local 2006 Chief Steward Richard Gennetti Discusses The Value of Public Service

AFGE Social Security Administration Local 2006 Chief Steward Richard Gennetti discusses why he joined the public sector and the effects federal budget cuts have on those that rely on vital government services.

AFGE Members Fight Back with Rally for Jobs at Congressman John Carter’s (R-TX) Office

Here, constituents from U.S. Rep. John Carter’s (R-TX) congressional district join with leaders from the nation’s largest federal employee union (AFGE) to highlight the congressman’s anti-worker legislative agenda.

Rep. Carter voted to cut 10 percent of all federal jobs in Texas and across the country. This would mean a loss of more than 1,000 jobs in his district, or $40 million in lost revenue. He also supported policies to cut funding for programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid while rejecting efforts raise revenue by increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans and corporations.