TOPICS
TOPICS
Unions say recession is sparking federal sector organizing
The economic downturn is bad news for many Americans, but for some of the unions that represent federal employees, the recession has brought an unexpected boom in interest.
Paul Shearon, secretary-treasurer of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, said oversight of the stimulus package and other government efforts to stabilize the economy have placed greater demands on the highly educated specialists IFPTE traditionally represents. "It puts the pressure on management, too, and sometimes it puts management in the position of having to make unreasonable choices," he said.
Workers at three agencies Shearon declined to identify have approached IFPTE about the possibility of forming locals. "Across the board ... they saw the union as an opportunity for them not only to protect their interests, but [also] to improve their agency," he said. The union is considering increasing the size of its Washington staff so it can reach out to agencies where workers have expressed interest.
Shearon and IFPTE Legislative Director Matt Biggs said the union has not made a deliberate effort to expand. Rather, its successful 2007 campaign to organize researchers and analysts at the Government Accountability Office raised its visibility and sent the message that white-collar workers could benefit from unions as much as blue-collar employees, Shearon said. Social networking likely helped to spread the word, he said.
IFPTE in late February won an election to represent employees at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the agency that oversees private sector retirement plans. Many of these plans have been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn, increasing PBGC's workload.
"There is more and more oversight, our employees in GAO are getting an ever-increasing number of reports and studies to perform," Shearon said. Pressures on PBGC workers are likely to get more intense as well, he said.
Cassie Kerner, organizing director for the National Federation of Federal Employees, said NFFE also is noticing heightened interest.
"A lot of federal employees have a spouse who has lost their job, or children who are out of school but can't find work," she said. "A lot of federal employees are joining the union because they really value job security in this economic downturn, and the union can help provide that security through representation."
Kerner declined to provide specific numbers, but said a recent survey to determine interest in organizing received three times as many positive responses as the union had expected. As a result, NFFE has established a committee to communicate with potential members, and has rewritten its strategic plan to anticipate the need to reach larger numbers of workers.
The spike in inquiries is a trial run for the coming generational turnover in the workforce, Kerner said. Not only will agencies lose experienced workers as baby boomers retire, but unions will shed longtime members. NFFE is planning an aggressive outreach campaign for new federal employees, according to Kerner.
Biggs said it made sense for IFPTE -- which represents both public and private sector employees -- to concentrate its organizing efforts on government since it is one of the few employers hiring more people. He also noted that, unlike private sector companies, federal agencies generally shy away from bringing in outside consulting firms or lawyers to block the formation of a union, making organizing campaigns easier and less expensive.
Both NFFE and IFPTE are glad for the opportunity to grow at a time when the economy at large is shrinking. "We are going to make sure that we make the most of this period of increased interest in organizing," Kerner said.
COMMENTS
- All Unions are not our friends. I worked for the Veterans Hospital in Northport from 1986 to 2009 when I was unjustly fired and paid Union dues to Union 1843. My Union never even represted me when I was fired. In 2003 I found out my position was in error of classification and I as a grade 5 was fulfilling the duties of a grade 9 and was due compensation from 1997 to date of this letter from a grade 5 to a grade 9. Since 2003 I have stood alone and represented myself since my Union 1843 chose to ignore me and my evidence and my Union has never met with me from 2003 to date of this letter. The main issue was if I worked independently from 1997 to date as a grade 5 fulfilling the duties of a grade 9 or was there a supervisors on the tour with me. My management stated that there were supervisors on the tour with me and I was not due compensation from a grade 5 to a grade 9. Since 2003 to date of this letter there are (5) supervisors that my management said were on the tour with me who would give (5) swore testimonies to my Union 1843 they were never my supervisors from 1997 to the date I was fired. My Union 1843 from 2003 to date of this letter never met with these employees or took their testimonies. My Union 1843 advised me they spoke to my management and view my job descripition and agree with my managment. This is not one sided by my Union 1843? If my position is in error of classification then my job position is in error, great job Union 1843. I requested a desk audited from 2003 to the date I was fired my Union 1843 never performed a desk audited. My position is a Regional Wide position and I ask my Union from 2003 to date I was fired. Since my position is a Regional Wide position then would not all VA's had to downgrade the position in 1997 from a grade 9 to a grade 5. My Union 1843 never met with me on this. The recession has nothing to do with our Unions not representing us, ignoring creiditable evidence, not doing a desk audited, etc. All Union members from all Unions need to UNITE and stand togather and get our rights back. I still stand alone without my Union 1843 but I will not give up until I am fully compensated, my name is cleared and I am hired back as a federal employee. valrie thomas Posted December 30, 2009 11:14 PM
- My Union is local 1843 and I am a federal employee and a self taught adult with a learning disability. In 1997 my position was created from a pre-existing position and due to the grade of my position my Union was sole representative of the position and me. In 2003 it came to my attention my position was in error of classification from 1997 to date of this letter and I am due compensation from a grade 5 to a grade 9, etc. From 2003 to date of this letter I have advise my Union were to locate the evidence by inter office e-mails, letters, going to my union office etc. and requested barganing units, desk audites etc. My Union chose to ignore me and my evidence. I paid Union dues from 1986 to 04/03/09 the date I was fired. My evidence which my Union will not view: 1) (5) Sworn testimonies which 100% would prove I fulfilled the duties of a grade 9 at a grade 5 from 1997 to date. 2) Time records. 3) The legal documents of clasification. 4) Wh I was the only employee that held the position at a grade 5 and all other employees and Regional wide were grade 9. Plenty of more evidence. valrie thomas Posted June 11, 2009 1:39 PM
- My view is that unions are a necessary evil, since we have shown ourselves that dangling money in front of human beings brings out the sociopath in all of us. I have no doubt that if there were no unions, or no labor law, the supply-siders, the NSPS-ers, and the misanthropic and anti-family folks running the asylum would waterboard us all if they could. BeauxEau Posted June 3, 2009 12:33 PM
PROMO RIGHT: FIRSTLIGHT
PROMO RIGHT: GBC
Advancing the business of government through analysis, insight and the sharing of best practices.
SPONSORED RESEARCH
Telework in the Federal Government TANDBERG
Healthcare Reform: A Looming Implementation Challenge IBM-Cognos and Symantec
Out of Sight, but Not Out of Touch: Federal Executives' Assessment of Agency Telework Policy KRONOS
The State of Green Government: Response to a Mandate Juniper and HP
Achieving a Greener Federal Government IBM
Federal Cybersecurity: Securing the Nation's Information IBM
