Your Union News
March 2004
AFGE Local 2578 News

Vol. 3, No. 1

 

 

AFGE Council President Peter Jeffrey discusses issues of concern to NARA bargaining unit employees with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

 

Local 2578 Members Storm Capitol Hill!

 

On Tuesday, February 10, fifteen shop stewards from Local 2578 spent the day on Capitol Hill educating their Senators and Representatives about Federal employee issues.  The visits were part of the American Federation of Government Employees’ annual Legislative Conference attended by over 600 Union members.

 

Using the National Archives Union issue paper, our shop stewards discussed the importance of affordable health benefits and asked lawmakers to support H.R. 577 and S. 319 that would help lower premium costs. They also thanked lawmakers for their support of legislation providing for a 4.1% Federal pay raise in 2004 and asked that they continue to support pay parity with the military for the 2005 budget.

 

 In response to the Bush Administration’s efforts to privatize up to 850,000 Federal jobs, the Union members spelled out the problems that could result from this initiative as well as the Office of Management and Budget’s efforts to streamline the A-76 privatization process. 

 

Lastly, the Union members spoke about the importance of having a strong Civil Service.  In response to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s efforts to eliminate civil service protections at the Department of Defense and possible civil service changes at the newly created Department of Homeland Security, our members detailed the importance of collective bargaining, whistleblower protections, and merit systems principles in maintaining a strong civil service that  serves and protects the public.

 

Dayton Federal Records Center shop stewards Kathy Wells, Pam Bulloch, and Tom Reed met with Mike Wiehe from Congressman Mike Turner’s (R-OH) office and Theresa Prych from Senator George Voinovich’s (R-OH) office.  Later, they met with Senator Voinovich, himself,  and discussed the importance of providing affordable health benefits and controlling the spiraling  premium increases that have hit Dayton employees especially hard the past 3 years.  In response to their concerns, Senator Voinovich agreed to follow up and write a letter to the Office of Management and Budget seeking an explanation for the huge cost increases in the Dayton area.  He also agreed to support pay parity for Federal employees in the 2005 budget.

 

Atlanta Regional Archives and Records Center steward Arden Williams met Jeff Thompson from Congressman “Mac” Collins’s (R-GA) office and later had the opportunity to meet with the Congressman.  She thanked the Congressman for his support of anti-contracting-out efforts and talked to him about the employees who work at the Atlanta facilities.  She informed him about pay parity issues and high health care premium costs and the effect these are having on the employees there.

 

Mitch Buffone (Philadelphia Regional Archives and Records Center) met with William Miles from Chaka Fattah’s (D-PA) office. Greg Mouchyn (Bush Library) met with Greg Johnston from John Carter’s (R-TX) office.  Martin Tuohy (Chicago Regional Archives and Records Center)  met with Ian Campbell from Bobby Rush’s (D-IL) office.  Lastly, AFGE Council President Peter Jeffrey met with Rep. Chris Van Hollan (D-MD).

 

Southwest Regional Archives steward Jennifer Allday, Greg Mouchyn, and Council 260 President Peter Jeffrey met with Robert Kincaid from Senator John Cornyn’s (R-TX) office and Chris Gilette from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson’s (R-TX) office.  While the trio was not well received by Gilette (he refused to shake Jennifer Allday’s hand!), Sen. Cornyn’s staff member listened attentively to the concerns raised by the trio.  He was unaware of the importance of  pay parity and lowering the cost of federal health care premiums.

 

John Powers met with Joe McKelvey from Karen McCarthy’s (D-MO) office. McCarthy represents NARA employees from three different facilities in the Kansas City area.  Powers informed McKelvey about pay parity and the need to control cost increases in health  benefit premiums.  Kansas City shop steward Stephanie Stoddard will follow up and provide additional information to Mc Carthy on these two important issues.

 

The Washington DC-area shop stewards met with staff members from several metropolitan area representatives: Keith Abouchar from Steny Hoyer’s (D-MD) office, Neil Siefring from Frank Wolf’s (R-VA) office, Mike Rious from Albert Wynn’s (D-MD) office, and Thaddeus Stevens from Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D-DC) office.  They also met with Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) who chairs the House Government Reform Committee.  John Powers talked with  the Congressman about the dramatic cost increases in health benefit  premiums and the effect it is having on the NARA workforce.  Davis asked that Powers schedule a followup meeting with his staff to discuss the problems in detail.

 

Beth Moten, the head of AFGE’s legislative department, thanked Local 2578 for participating in the conference and for meeting with their Congressional leaders.  “It makes my job much easier--to talk about heath care and pay parity when that Representative or that Senator can also see the face of a Federal employee who is affected.”    Moten continued, “Congress determines our pay.  They determine our benefits.  Increasingly, they are also determining what our working conditions will be, and even going so far as to determine our fates-- whether we will continue to be Federal employees or our work will be contracted out.” 

 

Local 2578 is doing its part and informing Members of Congress about the important work we do as Federal employees. 

                                                --- John Powers

 

AFGE Council 260 Representative Arden Williams (Atlanta) discusses issues of concern to NARA bargaining unit employees with Mac Collins (R-GA).

 

Fighting for Our Rights!: Atlanta meets Washington, DC

 

February 11th (10th or 11th or both, see previous article) was the first clear day in Washington  for some time and groups of people were out walking. A large group converging in the area of the Capitol was members of AFGE attending the Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference. 

I am a new shop steward from NARA/SE Region and  was very fortunate to be among the group of AFGE members visiting legislators. One of the calls I participated in was to House Representative Mac Collins (8th district of Georgia). I talked with members of his staff and then caught up with him as he was leaving a meeting outside the Ways and Means Committee room. My short session was important to familiarize Rep. Collins with AFGE. There is strength in union unity.

 

I have only been at NARA for about 2 years. My previous 22 year career was with a private company. My former employer, a well-known (in Atlanta) anti-union corporation, spent large amounts of money to thwart any union organizing. For the last 6 years of my career I chose to be a union organizer. It was an education in endurance. We had to keep all organizing activities secret. We were watched and harassed and had our jobs threatened. Yet we knew we were backed by the union that worked with us.  We lost the election, but lasting friendships were formed with those that I worked with. I learned there is strength and support in union unity.

 

I was thrilled to begin a new career at NARA and happy to finally join a union! Becoming an AFGE member was so easy. I was quite surprised when I found out how many of my peers are not union members. I cannot understand why everyone does not join AFGE. Even though the contract in place is for everyone (regardless of membership), it is because of the union that we are able to benefit from a contract in the first place. Whatever the reasons for not joining we all must realize that in the era we live in (where change is constant), there is safety in being a member of the largest Federal employee union in the country. Our voices can be very loud when raised in solidarity especially if everyone participates. There is not a day that goes by that I don't appreciate the importance of being a member of the union. I only have to think back to my former job to know how good I have it now. There is much strength, support, and security in my union membership. 

---- Arden Williams

 

Local Meeting:  The next meeting is scheduled for Tues., March 30, 2004.  Teleconferencing capability will be provided for most AFGE Local 2578 locations.

 

Welcome New Members: AFGE Local 2578 welcomes the following Brothers and Sisters: Marva Frazier, Bobby Hill, Dana Liggins, Salvatore Petralia, and Debrah Williams-Boone.

 

AFGE Council 260, AFGE Local 2578

8601 Adelphi Road, rm. 1920; College Park, MD  20740-6001

(301) 837-0901, afgecouncil260@yahoo.com

Local 2578 Executive Board: Vernon Early, President; Peter Jeffrey, Executive Vice President; Nkenge Sims, Treasurer; Ted Hull, Secretary; John Powers, Chief Shop Steward

Newsletter Editor: Katherine Coram

Please feel free to share Your Union News with other Bargaining Unit employees … encourage them to join AFGE! See http://www.afgecouncil260.org/join.html