American Federation of Government Employees
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The Environmental Protection Agency's administrator recently mentioned the administrative obstacles of firing employees and suggested Congress change the law. One of the unions representing EPA employees is now responding in a letter that blames management, not employees for agency problems.
July 17, 2014 -
The House and Senate have appointed members to a conference committee on legislation to revamp the Veterans Affairs health care system. Regardless of how Congress ends up changing the structure to address long wait times for patients, the system will need more money for emergencies. That is one request from the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents many front-line VA employees. J. David Cox is the union's president and a former VA nurse. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss how the problems at the VA are affecting the front-line employees.
June 23, 2014 -
During the final edition of Inside Government on Federal News Radio, your host Ward Morrow speaks with Chris Garlock of the DC Labor Film Fest and discusses issues at the Bureau of Prisons with Eric Young, the AFGE Council of Prisons Locals. Inside Government also looks back through AFGE history with the union's Chief of Staff, Brian DeWyngaert, and discusses what's next with AFGE National President J. David Cox, Sr.
June 19, 2014 -
This week "Inside Government" celebrates National LGBT Pride Month by re-airing interviews with Frank Fragomene, an EEO specialist and attorney from the AFGE Women's and Fair Practices Department; Sasha Buchert, a staff attorney at the Transgender Law Center; and, Darren Phelps, the AFL-CIO executive director of Pride at Work. Caniesha Washington, an EEO Specialist from the AFGE Women's and Fair Practices Department, previews the upcoming Diversity Week trainings in Minneapolis.
June 12, 2014 -
Federal prisons are becoming more violent and dangerous for the guards who work in them. But the guards have a new tool that can help: a contract. It took 16 years to negotiate and ratify. Eric Young is president of American Federation of Government Employees' Council of Prison Locals. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the new contract.
June 06, 2014 -
This week "Inside Government" speaks with Carmen Berkley, the Civil, Human and Women's Rights Director at the AFL-CIO discusses voter protection; The National Defense Authorization Act and its impact on DoD employees is explained by Don Hale, Chair of AFGE's Defense Conference; The Social Security Administration's Vision for the year 2025 with AFGE SSA Council 220 President Witold Skwiercznyski; and, the Stop Staples Campaigns and Efforts to Privatize the Postal Service with American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein.
June 04, 2014 -
Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act Friday, calling for a 3.3 percent pay increase for federal employees for calendar year 2015. Federal employee union leaders praised the proposal, which would raise feds' pay more than the 1 percent President Barack Obama introduced in his 2015 budget proposal. The bill is similar to one introduced in March by House Democrats.
May 23, 2014 -
This week "Inside Government" speaks with AFGE's Law Enforcement President and Sargent of Arms about the committee's work; Stacy Bodtmann, AFGE Council 100 Regional Vice President talks about issues at TSA; Alexander Keyssar from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government talks about voter protection; and, Bill Berry, author of "Union Strategies for Hard Times" discusses his book and what Unions can do in this threatening economic and political climate.
May 23, 2014 -
Despite the challenges they face, federal employees come to work every day and strive to do their best because they are dedicated to their jobs. What will it take for Congress to start treating them with the respect they deserve, asks AFGE President J. David Cox in a column written for Federal News Radio's special report, Trust Redefined: Reconnecting Government and Its Employees.
May 22, 2014 -
This week AFGE's "Inside Government" explores LGBT employee issues in the federal workplace with Frank Fragomene, an EEO specialist and attorney from the AFGE Women's and Fair Practices Department; Sasha Buchert, a staff attorney at the Transgender Law Center; and, Darren Phelps, the AFL-CIO executive director of Pride at Work. Cheryl Eliano, the AFGE local 1920 president, also joins the program and discusses her experience during both of the shootings at Fort Hood.
May 16, 2014 -
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce, hosted a hearing Tuesday to discuss the low morale of federal employees and explore possible solutions for agencies seeking to improve it.
May 07, 2014 -
Special Rebroadcast from April 11, 2014: This week AFGE's "Inside Government" focuses on the second tragedy at Fort Hood. The AFGE DEFCON Chair Don Hale discusses the incident and what the Department of Defense has done since the first incident in 2009; Jeff Zuhlke, the President of the AFGE Law Enforcement Committee and Chair on DEFCON's Police and Security Working Group explains security on military installations; Michelle Washington, a Doctor at the VA with an MS and PHD in Mental and Behavioral Health discusses PTSD, its symptoms and how to treat it; and in a second segment, Hale discusses the threats that civilian employees and military families face in the 2015 Budget Proposal.
April 24, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's Inside Government, Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness discusses the realities of tax reform; Bill Press of the Bill Press Show talks about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the midterm elections, Union Radio and sequestration; Katherine McFate, president and CEO of the Center for Effective Government examines the impact of current federal funding levels; and, AFGE National President J. David Cox explains why AFGE is advocating for a 4 percent pay increase for government employees.
April 15, 2014 -
House Democrats are pushing for federal employees to get a pay raise next year that's more than three times larger than President Barack Obama proposed. A bill introduced Wednesday by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.) would provide federal employees with a 3.3 percent across-the-board pay raise in 2015.
March 26, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" Transportation Security Administration Local 1230 President James Mudrock discusses ongoing safety concerns at TSA while Department of Veterans Affairs Local 2425 Secretary-Treasurer LaDean Mitchell shares her dedication and commitment to caring for veterans. Professor Jeffrey Hilgert, author of "Hazard or Hardship: Crafting Global Norms on the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work," also appears.
March 21, 2014