American Federation of Government Employees - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 21
About This Presentation
Title:

American Federation of Government Employees

Description:

... retiment funds; and helped secure a five day 40 hour work week and overtime pay. ... To ensure our victory, we must work together or be destroyed. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:54
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 22
Provided by: WSE9102
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: American Federation of Government Employees


1
A Brief History of AFGE
American Federation of Government Employees 5th
District
Pedro Romero, National Representative
2
The intent of this presentation is to provide a
brief history of the largest federal workers
Union the American Federation of Government
Employees, afl-cio
3
INTRODUCTION
  • The American Federation of Government Employees
    enters the the 21st Century facing the greatest
    challenges of its history.
  • To effectively deal with these challenges, and
    chart our future, it is important that we are
    aware of who we are, where we came from, and what
    we have done.

4
WHO WE ARE
  • We are the civilian employees who make the
    Government work. We
  • are the of Government. Some
  • of our accomplishments
  • When we walked on the moon, it was
    because civilian employees made it
    possible.
  • We help build and maintain nuclear
    submarines.

5
WHO WE ARE (contd)
  • Our members at SSA help Social Security
    recipients receive their hard earned benefits in
    a timely and efficient manner and it is the
    envy of the envy of the private sector.
  • It does this in an economical manner, using only
    1 of revenues collected to accomplish its
    massive workload.

6
WHO WE ARE (contd)
  • Our members provide vital services for the
    countrys veterans thru medical, rehabilititative
    and financial services at the
    Department of Veterans
    Affairs.

7
WHO WE ARE (contd)
  • OSHA Inspectors look after the health and
    safety of workers land. We protect the national
    health thru members at the CDC, the
    food we eat thru the meat
    inspectors at USDA, inspect
    mines, guard the borders,
    assist immigrants, protect
    and conserve national parks...
  •  

8
THEREFORE
  • WE ARE THE HEART OF GOVERNMENT DEDICATED,
    HARD WORKING MEN AND WOMEN DESERVING OF RESPECT,
    JUSTICE AND EQUAL TREATMENT!!

9
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
  • AFGE was born in 1932, in the midst of the Great
    Depression. It had been affiliated with NFFE
    which had a falling out with the AFL and left the
    federation.
  • The Congress in two Economy Acts of 1932 and
    1933 ordered a 15 across the board pay cut for
    every government employee making more than 1,000
    a year. Furloughing without pay became
    widespread one month each year. Even the
    salaries of the President and Vice President were
    cut fifteen percent.
  • Congress reduced its pay by only 10.

10
ADVERSITIES (contd)
  • Continued employment of anyone reaching
    retirement age was forbidden.
  • Most travel allowances were eliminated and those
    allowed were extremely reduced. Overtime pay was
    eliminated.
  • A particularly vicious personnel action ordered
    that one member of a married couple working for
    the Government be laid off before any others in
    the agency.

11
BIRTH OF AFGE
  • Chartered by the AFL on January 14, 1933
    conferring full authority on AFGE to organize
    Government employees.
  • First President was John Arthur Shaw.

12
1933 FIRST AFGE Convention
  • Adopted Legislative Program calling for
  • Restoration of 15 pay cut.
  • End of furloughs.
  • End of 30 year optional retirement.
  • End of prohibition against promotions and
    reallocations.
  • Repeal of married persons clause.
  • Improve conditions as to leave and
    protection of MERIT AND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS.

13
FIRST CONVENTION (contd)
  • The Convention also elected 10 VPs to serve on a
    part time unpaid basis.

STRENGTH IN UNITY
14
EARLY LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES
  • During the FDR years AFGE was succesful in
    obtaining rights and benefits for Civil Service
    workers in retirement pay, classifications, and
    automatic promotions.
  • By 1936, AFGE had obtained annual and sick leave
    bills restored promotions and allocations
    protected retiment funds and helped secure a
    five day 40 hour work week and overtime pay.

15
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
  • January 17, 1962 JFK signs EO 10988 granting
    collective bargainging rights to Federal
    employees.
  • June 30, 1961 JFK orders agencies to
    pay employees the new enacted minimum wage --
    1.15/hr.
  • A 10 increase in annuity payments was voted in
    Congress and approved by JFK. He also increased
    travel pay.

16
From EOs to 5 USC 71
  • Executive Orders that expanded EO 10988 were
    signed by Presidents Johnson and Nixon.
  • In 1978, under Jimmy Carter, Congress passed 5
    USC 71, the Federal Sector Labor Management
    Relations Statute. Ken Blaylock served as AFGE
    President during this time it was AFGEs
    greatest accomplishment.

17
The Present
  • Today, under George Bush, AFGE
    faces one of the most anti-union
    Administrations in our history.
  • The 2006 elections are a turning point thanks
    to the grass roots mobilization efforts of AFGE
    and other unions, we have changed the face of
    Congress from anti-union to more union-friendly.
  • AFGE keeps gaining in membership strength. Just
    wait for 2008!

18
Strength in Numbers
  • AFGE must grow. With adversity, more and more
    government employees realize that without high
    membershp rates, we will lose the benefits we
    have fought so hard for.
  • Legislative action and membership recruitment
    must go hand in hand. That is the course for
    ensuring AFGEs formidable force.

19
PEOPLE POWER
  • AFGEs greatest resource and its greatest
    strength comes from its more than 200,000 active
    and 30,000 retired members.
  • The key is to motivate t them
    into action.

20
MOTIVATING ACTION
  • We must move quickly move throughout AFGE -- at
    a minimum throughout the Fearless Fifth --
    bringing the message to our members that we are
    all soldiers in this fight. To ensure our
    victory, we must work together or be destroyed.

21
Work in Unity, Speak as One!
  • We must teach what we know, practice what we
    preach, and speak in one voice so that those who
    would destroy our movement know we are a force to
    be reckoned with..
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com