American Federation of Government Employees
Encyclopedia
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is an American
labor union
representing over 625,000 employees of the federal government
, about 5,000 employees of the District of Columbia, and a few hundred private sector
employees, mostly in and around federal facilities. AFGE is the largest union for civilian, non-postal
federal employees and the largest union for District of Columbia employees who report directly to the mayor
(i.e., outside of DC Public Schools
). It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO
.
(AFL) and left the National Federation of Federal Employees
(NFFE) when that union became independent of the AFL (NFFE has in recent years become part of the IAMAW, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO).
AFGE is a Federation of Local unions, with each Local maintaining autonomy through operating under local constitutions that comply with the AFGE National constitution ratified originally during its founding in 1932.
Federal employees' right to organize and bargain binding labor contracts was established in law by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
, which AFGE helped to draft, and which states that collective bargaining
in the federal sector is in the public interest while also barring the right to strike.
AFGE has played a crucial role in the struggle for women's rights
and civil rights
in the federal sector, and was one of the first unions to establish a Women's Department and a Fair Practices Department, with the officer over those Departments holding a seat on the NEC and with Women's and Fair Practices Coordinators elected in each AFGE District since the early 1970s.
AFGE's December 2009 court suits stopped aspects of the George W. Bush
Administration's "National Security Personnel System" (for DOD) and MAXHR (for DHS), and AFGE also won recent changes to law that make the contracting out process more balanced in regard to federal employees' interests. In 2010, the Obama Administration issued an Executive Order for the Federal Government to focus on insourcing Federal jobs rather than outsourcing them overseas or to contractors.
AFGE's motto was established as "To Do For All That Which No One Can Do For Oneself".
AFGE's original emblem was a shield with the stars and strips and the words "Justice, Fraternity, Progress" and the current emblem is three workers supporting a globe with a map of the United States and the words "Proud to Make America Work".
In June of 2011, AFGE also won the historic largest single nationwide consolidated bargaining unit election of over 44,000 employees of the Transportation Security Administration
, part of the Department of Homeland Security. AFGE is working for a change in law which will give them the same collective bargaining rights as other federal employees.
) and National Vice President, Women's and Fair Practices, Augusta Thomas, elected at a triennial National Convention, and 12 National Vice Presidents who oversee geographic districts and are elected at District caucuses. Previous National Presidents going back to the 1960s include Bobby L. Harnage, Sr., John N. Sturdivant, Kenneth Blaylock, Dennis Garrison, Clyde Weber, John Griner, and James Campbell. David Glass was the first AFGE National President. Early National Presidents include John A. Shaw, E. Claude Babcock, Charles I. Stengle, Cecil E. Custer and James B. Burns, and James G. Yaden. National Secretary-Treasurer Berniece Heffner served as Acting National President three times during transition periods due to retirement or death during her twenty years in office.
Labor relations in the federal sector are governed by the Federal Labor Relations Authority
, an independent federal agency, and federal sector unions have recourse to binding arbitration and to the Federal Services Impasses Panel to resolve impasses which might lead to a strike in the private sector.
For AFGE, collective bargaining responsibilities are delegated to Councils of Locals at major agencies, including the VA, the Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA), HUD, the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of Prisons (DOJ), major components of the Department of Defense, such as the Air Force Materiel Command and the Marine Corps, and major components of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Border Patrol, Federal Protective Service, ICE, CIS, and the Coast Guard.
" and federal employees are barred from being candidates for partisan political office and no dues money may be spent on partisan political campaigns.
AFGE has been growing in membership in recent years and now has more than 270,000 dues paying members in about 1100 AFGE Locals at more than 100 federal agencies. AFGE represents almost every type of worker in the American economy, blue collar
and white collar
, and covers a variety of professional, technical and support personnel—including nurses, doctors, machinists, electricians, aircraft mechanics, astronauts, scientists, safety inspectors, mine inspectors, food inspectors, environmental specialists, accountants and accounting technicians, fire fighters, police officers, correctional officers, cowboys, engineers, administrative assistants, janitors, radio and TV broadcasters, procurement specialists, quality assurance specialists, benefits administrators, housekeepers, lawyers and paralegals, boiler plant operators and many more.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
labor union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
representing over 625,000 employees of the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, about 5,000 employees of the District of Columbia, and a few hundred private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
employees, mostly in and around federal facilities. AFGE is the largest union for civilian, non-postal
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
federal employees and the largest union for District of Columbia employees who report directly to the mayor
Mayor of the District of Columbia
The Mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of Washington, D.C. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Council of the District of Columbia...
(i.e., outside of DC Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
). It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
.
History
AFGE was founded on October 17, 1932, by local unions loyal to the American Federation of LaborAmerican Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
(AFL) and left the National Federation of Federal Employees
National Federation of Federal Employees
The National Federation of Federal Employees is an American labor union which represents about 100,000 public employees in the federal government.NFFE has about 200 local unions, most of them agency-wide bargaining units...
(NFFE) when that union became independent of the AFL (NFFE has in recent years become part of the IAMAW, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO).
AFGE is a Federation of Local unions, with each Local maintaining autonomy through operating under local constitutions that comply with the AFGE National constitution ratified originally during its founding in 1932.
Federal employees' right to organize and bargain binding labor contracts was established in law by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, , reformed the civil service of the United States federal government.The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the U.S...
, which AFGE helped to draft, and which states that collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
in the federal sector is in the public interest while also barring the right to strike.
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
in the federal sector, and was one of the first unions to establish a Women's Department and a Fair Practices Department, with the officer over those Departments holding a seat on the NEC and with Women's and Fair Practices Coordinators elected in each AFGE District since the early 1970s.
AFGE's December 2009 court suits stopped aspects of the George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Administration's "National Security Personnel System" (for DOD) and MAXHR (for DHS), and AFGE also won recent changes to law that make the contracting out process more balanced in regard to federal employees' interests. In 2010, the Obama Administration issued an Executive Order for the Federal Government to focus on insourcing Federal jobs rather than outsourcing them overseas or to contractors.
AFGE's motto was established as "To Do For All That Which No One Can Do For Oneself".
AFGE's original emblem was a shield with the stars and strips and the words "Justice, Fraternity, Progress" and the current emblem is three workers supporting a globe with a map of the United States and the words "Proud to Make America Work".
In June of 2011, AFGE also won the historic largest single nationwide consolidated bargaining unit election of over 44,000 employees of the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
, part of the Department of Homeland Security. AFGE is working for a change in law which will give them the same collective bargaining rights as other federal employees.
Organization
AFGE is led by a National Executive Council, made up of National President John Gage, National Secretary Treasurer Jeffrey David Cox (who is a November 2010 appointee to the Federal Salary CouncilFederal salary council
The Federal Salary Council is an advisory body of the executive branch of the United States Government. The FSC was established under the provisions of the Section 5304 of Title 5 of the United States Code, to provide recommendations on the locality pay program created by the Federal Employees...
) and National Vice President, Women's and Fair Practices, Augusta Thomas, elected at a triennial National Convention, and 12 National Vice Presidents who oversee geographic districts and are elected at District caucuses. Previous National Presidents going back to the 1960s include Bobby L. Harnage, Sr., John N. Sturdivant, Kenneth Blaylock, Dennis Garrison, Clyde Weber, John Griner, and James Campbell. David Glass was the first AFGE National President. Early National Presidents include John A. Shaw, E. Claude Babcock, Charles I. Stengle, Cecil E. Custer and James B. Burns, and James G. Yaden. National Secretary-Treasurer Berniece Heffner served as Acting National President three times during transition periods due to retirement or death during her twenty years in office.
Labor relations in the federal sector are governed by the Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Labor Relations Authority
The Federal Labor Relations Authority is an independent agency of the United States government that governs labor relations between the federal government and its employees....
, an independent federal agency, and federal sector unions have recourse to binding arbitration and to the Federal Services Impasses Panel to resolve impasses which might lead to a strike in the private sector.
For AFGE, collective bargaining responsibilities are delegated to Councils of Locals at major agencies, including the VA, the Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA), HUD, the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of Prisons (DOJ), major components of the Department of Defense, such as the Air Force Materiel Command and the Marine Corps, and major components of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Border Patrol, Federal Protective Service, ICE, CIS, and the Coast Guard.
Membership
All union membership in the federal sector is entirely voluntary, as the law does not allow for the "closed shopClosed shop
A closed shop is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times in order to remain employed....
" and federal employees are barred from being candidates for partisan political office and no dues money may be spent on partisan political campaigns.
AFGE has been growing in membership in recent years and now has more than 270,000 dues paying members in about 1100 AFGE Locals at more than 100 federal agencies. AFGE represents almost every type of worker in the American economy, blue collar
Blue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
and white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
, and covers a variety of professional, technical and support personnel—including nurses, doctors, machinists, electricians, aircraft mechanics, astronauts, scientists, safety inspectors, mine inspectors, food inspectors, environmental specialists, accountants and accounting technicians, fire fighters, police officers, correctional officers, cowboys, engineers, administrative assistants, janitors, radio and TV broadcasters, procurement specialists, quality assurance specialists, benefits administrators, housekeepers, lawyers and paralegals, boiler plant operators and many more.