Volume LXIX, Number V - AFGE

As a member of AFGE, yourwork for the American peo-ple is critical to the success

of our nation. You should be proudof your service to your country.

It is almost Election Day. Pleasevote! It is your right and yourresponsibility. Get involved in elec-tion campaigns. This, too, is yourright and your responsibility.

As you decide who will getyour vote, or who to work for in theelections, I ask that you consideryour life’s work in the equation. Inthis issue, we have tried to pulltogether some of the most impor-tant issues being discussed that willabsolutely impact your life in a verybig way. I ask you to read this paperfrom cover to cover. The BushAdministration has recently saidthat they may very well put 850,000

government jobs into the mix for possible con-tracting out. This means that the livelihoodsof virtually every member of AFGE — yourlivelihood—will be onthe line over the nextfew years.

In addition, in theDepartment of Home-land Security (DHS), thePresident has publiclyfocused on only twoissues: taking away yourright to have a unionand giving “political”managers the power todraft employee rulesrather than have therules spelled out in law.His Administration hassaid that they intend towin these changes forDHS first, and then go

back for the Department of Defense, the Vet-erans Affairs Department and all of the otheragencies. This debate is about each one ofyou. In his effort to win the debate, the Pres-ident has insulted each of you, calling yourpatriotism into question with phony, absurdexamples of a purported drag on homelandsecurity allegedly created by unions andemployee protections. In the Senate, as we goto press, 49 Democrats, one Independent andone Republican have indicated that they willdefend your rights.

I ask you to show that you care about your-self and your brothers and sisters. Find out whatpositions your Senators and Congressman orCongresswoman holds, and how they havevoted on issues of importance to you.

We need a Congress—Senate and Houseof Representatives—that values what you dofor America. Get involved and vote.

THE GOVERNMENTSTANDARD

We Are Homeland SecurityA Message from President Bobby L. Harnage

This issue includesAFGE’s Official

Voter Guide(see pages 11-14)

American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO

Vol. LXIX, No. V September/October 2002

The HomelandSecurity FightAFGE Mobilizes for Rights & Protections (see pages 2-5)

EASTERN

AFGE Eastern (master) 10/8/02 10:41 AM

The Bush ProposalFor months prior to June 5, President Bushpublicly fought against the idea of a Home-land Security Department. Then, during aprimetime TV address on that evening, Bushproposed a Homeland Security Department,challenging Congress to “move quickly, thisyear, before the end of the congressional ses-sion” to create this cabinet-level agency.Interestingly, Congress was not consulted onthe reorganization proposal—learning of itthat evening.

Once the White House finally disclosedwhich employees would be affected in thereorganization, AFGE put a plan in place tofight for the over 50,000 AFGE bargainingunit employees. Agencies involved includedthe Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA), the Coast Guard, the Immigrationand Naturalization Service (INS), includingthe Border Patrol, and the Federal Protec-tive Service.

In less than two weeks, White Houseofficials delivered to Congress legislative lan-guage that included unlimited “flexibility”for the agency managers. Bush wants theagency mangers to have unchecked, uni-lateral power to hire, fire, move, demote orpromote any federal employee at will. Sucha component goes against Title 5 of the Civil

Service Act that guarantees protections andcollective bargaining rights in the federal gov-ernment. Having seen what the Bush Admin-istration had done to unionized workers inother federal departments in the past 18months (see page 8 of this newspaper), AFGEbegan speaking out against Bush’s latestattempt to harm federal workers who wouldbe rolled into the proposed department.

AFGE Speaks OutAgainst House Bill and Process“It is extremely dangerous to conclude thatthe war on terrorism must be fought by fed-eral employees denied their basic labor andcivil service rights and protections,” saidAFGE National President Bobby L. Harnageabout the House bill on July 11.

It’s important to note that the HouseGovernment Reform Committee originallyadopted language that included unions andworker protections. To counter the Com-mittee’s vote, House Republican leaders cre-ated a Select Committee on HomelandSecurity chaired by Dick Armey (R-Texas).That committee passed a bill to strip awaycivil service protections and collective bar-gaining rights—a bill that was whole-heart-edly supported by the White House.

On the floor of the House, Represen-tatives Connie Morella (R-Md.) and HenryWaxman (D-Calif.) offered amendments tothe final Homeland Security Act that wouldhave protected the civil service and laborrights of homeland security employees.Though both amendments (results are listedbelow) and AFGE’s efforts failed, AFGE didpick up several new allies for the battle inthe Senate.

The Government Standard — Sept./Oct. 2002 —www.afge.org

This fight has been for all federal employ-ees and unions — not just those who wouldbe transferred into the proposed department.President Bush’s Director of the Office ofManagement and Budget (OMB), MitchDaniels, intended to use a new HomelandSecurity Department as a wedge, an excuse,to ultimately do away with unions, collec-tive bargaining and civil service protectionsin the federal government. The Nelson-Chafee-Breaux compromise in the U.S. Sen-ate provides the President with new civilservice “flexibilities.”

However, to change the rules foremployees in the bargaining unit, the agencywould be required to negotiate thosechanges with the union. President Bush doesnot want to do that. He wants the author-ity to waive (to take away) union rights forthe 50,000 employees who currently havethem. The Nelson-Chafee-Breaux compro-mise would protect union rights.

SPECIAL REPORT: Homeland Security

Here’s why the Homeland Security Bill Affected all Federal Employees

The Morella Amendment (For Union Rights)

YES NORepublicans 5 214Independent 1 1Democrats 202 7

TOTAL 208 222

The Waxman Amendment (For Civil Service Protections)

YES NORepublicans 1 216Independent 1 3Democrats 206 3

TOTAL 208 220

AFGE Eastern (master) 10/8/02 10:41 AM Page 2


The Senate ActsAFGE Lobbying Produces Senate Compromise

Late on Tuesday, September 24, an agree-ment was reached between SenateDemocrats and Senator Lincoln Chafee

(R-R.I.) which provides 51 votes for the pro-visions in the Homeland Security bill relat-ing to union rights and civil serviceprotections. Some Senate Republicans wereso angry at AFGE at the time that they vowedto bring the entire bill down and prevent theSenate from finishing its consideration of thelegislation.

“The Nelson-Chafee-Breaux compromisepreserves the collective bargaining rightsof the employees and will give employeerepresentatives a seat at the table as man-agement develops its personnel system,”said Harnage.

The bipartisan amendment preserves theunion rights of federal employees. It also

gives the power to AFGE to helpshape any new pay system and/orpersonnel system affecting federalemployees. The compromise isexpected to be offered as anamendment to the original SenateHomeland Security bill.

The bipartisan amendment wouldbar the President from removingunion protections from employeesunless their primary job duty mate-rially changes and consists of intel-ligence, counter intelligence orinvestigative work directly relatedto terrorism investigation. (This is theAFGE-supported Morella Amend-ment which was offered, butdefeated, in the House of Repre-sentatives.)

The Secretary of DHS would alsobe prohibited from changing theprovisions in Title 5 concerningmerit system principles, premiumpay, training, demonstration proj-ects, allowances, labor-management rela-tions, and appeals.

AFGE is supporting the Nelson-Chafee-Breaux compromise while the Bush Admin-istration and the Senate Republicanleadership have vowed to kill it. At press time,AFGE still needed the votes of every Demo-cratic Senator, plus Senators Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) and Chafee, to pass the amendment.

“If this compromise holds through con-

ference, then the new Department of Home-land Security will start off on the right footby having a workforce that is energized toprotect the American people—a better work-force will certainly make a better HomelandSecurity Department,” added Harnage. Har-nage reiterated this point on numerous TVtalk shows such as MSNBC and C-SPAN.Additionally, AFGE’s media outreach blan-keted the newspapers, radio talk shows, andthe major networks with its message.

Safe atHome!

A Safe America.Homeland Security. It’s

Everyone’s Goal.

The debate on Capitol Hill over homeland security should be aboutmarshalling our forces to deal with the very real threat of terrorism. Theemployees who will soon be moved into the Department of HomelandSecurity are every bit as committed to America’s security as thePresident—which is why those employees do not understand why thePresident and his advisors have engaged in an all-out assault against themusing absurd hypothetical examples.

America’s security depends on these employees just as it depends on thecivilian employees in the Department of Defense who have supported ourmilitary through every crisis and war.

Not once has anyone raised a complaint that union rights or civil serviceprotections have impeded our war efforts; they would never impede ourhomeland security efforts, either.

However, a lack of rules will hurt our security by bringing back:

We are learning about the mission failures brought about by fear andintimidation within the FBI. We are learning that employees’ concernsmatter, and that bad management is not the solution.

USA Today has reported that the air marshals program is in disarraybecause employee concerns are being ignored. And they have no unionrights through which to bring forth their concerns.

To create a Department of Homeland Security that protects America,Congress must preserve rights and protections for employees responsiblefor the security of our nation.

A message from the 600,000 government employees represented bythe American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIOwww.afge.org

End the War AgainstHomeland Security

Employees“The president’s unreasonable demandhas already forced Congress to delay

creation of the new department and maykill the idea altogether. Presidential

overreaching should not be allowed toharm national security.”Atlanta-Journal Constitution

September 9, 2002

Cronyism FavoritismFear Intimidation

Political Cover-upsDemoralized EmployeesHigh Turnover


Will the House & Senate

Meet in Conference?Will Bush Simply

Veto a Bill?

White House Spins Another Lie Bush Aide is a Disgrace

to VeteransOn July 26, the same day the House voted on H.R. 5005, WhiteHouse Press Secretary Ari Fleischer pulled yet another lie from hisbag of daily fibs. He said a hypothetical drunken Border Patrol Agentwho let a terrorist into the country could not be fired to illustrate thePresident’s need for unlimited “flexibility” in the proposed Home-land Security Department.

“Fleischer is wrong,” said Harnage. “If an employee were drunkon the job and allowed a terrorist into the country, he could beremoved immediately as a national security risk.”

The White House, which supports Fleisher’s comments, makes amockery of the seriousness of American security and also its veterans—a majority of Border Patrol agents proudly served in the military.

Committee Wisely SupportsTitle 5

Deeply concerned with the direction the Republican-controlledHouse was taking on the proposed Homeland Security bill, theDemocratic-controlled Senate—which actually had a HomelandSecurity bill in committee since the Spring—got more involved inthe debate. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee passed thatbill in July (S. 2452), much to the pleasure of AFGE.

“Civil service protections and union representation ensure thatspeaking out about serious problems is encouraged, rather than pun-ished,” said Harnage on July 25. The efforts of Senator Joseph Lieber-man (D-Conn.) and other Senators, to ensure civil service protectionsand collective bargaining rights in the proposed department,haveelicited a veto threat from President Bush.


AFGE Holds News Conference

At a News Conference at AFGE head-quarters in Washington, D.C., on August

28, the union released a report that showedthe Bush Administration already has the“flexibility” needed for the proposed Home-land Security Department under current law.

The report brought together pertinent sec-tions of federal statutes, the Civil Service Actand case law that showed how existing man-agement prerogatives already provided theAdministration maximum “flexibility” in per-sonnel matters involving the nation’s safety.

“Bush says he needs more flexibility forthe Secretary of Homeland Security to beable to act quickly in times of national emer-gency,” said Harnage, “but federal managersalready have all the ‘flexibility’ they need.”

In addition, AFGE shared an OPM hand-book which points out just how flexible Title5 is in meeting organizational needs.

AFGE Holds National RallyEvent Educated Public

On August 21, over 625 AFGE members ral-lied in front of the federal building inChicago in support of a Homeland SecurityDepartment that would not shortchangeworkers.

At the rally, Harnage pointed out that noone is more interested in making the home-land secure than the dedicated men andwomen of the federal government — thesame ones who put their lives on the lineevery day of the year.

“Bush’s plan won’t make America moresecure if it undermines the rights of workerswhose job it is to protect our country,” statedHarnage to a bustling crowd.

The crowd cheered when Harnagepointed out that the Office of PersonnelManagement could not cite one singleexample of how unions have ever com-promised national security. District 7National Vice President Dorothy James,National Border Patrol Council PresidentT.J. Bonner and Local 2367 President DanHale also spoke at the rally.

200 AFGE Members Turn Outfor Senate News ConferenceThe Senate Democratic Steering Committeeheld a News Conference on Sept. 4, in theSenate Dirksen Office Building in support ofS. 2452. Before 200 AFGE members andnational radio and television reporters,Denise Dukes, President of FEMA Local 4060in Washington, D.C., shared her thoughts onHomeland Security with Senators Joe Lieber-man (D-Conn.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), TedKennedy (D-Mass.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).

“When the terrorists attacked on Septem-ber 11, FEMA employees responded and

deployed without question as soon as theywere told to do so,” Dukes stated. “Unionmembers are not an obstacle to Homeland

Security, we are Homeland Security.” Lieber-man echoed Dukes’ statement in saying“Osama bin Laden is the enemy, not BobbyHarnage.”

AFGE Grassroots Action In New Mexico, AFGE activists at DVA Local2063, Kirkland AFB Local 2263 and SSALocal 4041 teamed-up to flood the office ofSenator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) with ActionFaxes and phone calls.

AFGE Locals across Virginia organized acall and fax blitz to the office of Senator JohnWarner (R-Va.). DVA Local 1739 alone gen-erated over 200 calls.

AFGE activists in Ohio mobilized to con-vey their anger to Senator George Voinovich(R-Ohio) after he reneged on his promise tosupport AFGE and announced his supportfor the Bush Administration’s legislation —over 1,000 contacts were made in one week.

AFGE activists made emergency trips toWashington, D.C., to meet with key Sena-tors. Pam Gault of Field Labor Local 948 andJohn Hopkins of DVA Local 100 flew in tomet with Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.).Phil Gray and Alberto Pores met with Sen-ator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Elmer Har-mon and David Burns of Navy Local 2635met with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

AFGE Coordinators PlayCritical RoleThe Women’s and Fair Practices (WFP)Departments’ District Coordinators in sevenAFGE Districts, covering some 23 states andWashington, D.C., hosted grassroots activities.

In Washington, D.C., the WFP Departmentsand District 14 ran a phone bank. In Dis-trict 7, Coordinators also ran a phone bank,targeting AFGE members represented by Sen-ator Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.). In Districts 2, 9and 12, Coordinators worked with AFL-CIOState Federations and Central Labor Councils.Coordinators in District 6 leafleted and edu-cated fellow and potential AFGE members inFort Wayne, Ind. and Dayton, Ohio. And,Coordinators in District 8 sent dozens of let-ters to their members of Congress.



AFGE Mobilizes

Call your senators toll-free today at 1-877-611-0063.Urge them to oppose any effort to weaken civil service or collective bargaining rights

Honor America’s Working Heroes

“Union members aren’t obstaclesto homeland security.We ARE homeland security.”DENISE DUKES

AFGE LOCAL 4060 PRESIDENT

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

(FEMA)

DENISE DUKES SPENT FOUR WEEKS of 12-hour daysat Ground Zero making sure critical emergency resourcesreached the site of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade

Center. Firefighters, police, Border Patrol agents, construction workersand airline personnel were heroes on and after Sept. 11—and they were union members.

But if the Senate Republican leadership has its way, Denise and thousands of her co-workers in the new Department of Homeland Security may no longer have the freedom to join a union or civil service protections.



Legislative & PoliticalOrganizers Play Central RoleNational Legislative & Political OrganizersChris Kemm, Fred McDuff, Bob Mechanand Yolanda Taylor traveled the country tobuild our grassroots mobilization. In Colum-bus, Ohio, Mechan worked with DLA/DFASLocal 1148. Their efforts produced 80 newmembers and 200 Action Faxes. At Local 54in Fort Benning, Ga., Taylor conducted a leg-islative and political action training thatmobilized Stewards and Executive Boardmembers to generate 180 faxes to SenatorsMax Cleland (D-Ga.) and Zell Miller (D-Ga.). McDuff headed to New Orleans towork with DVA Local 3553 to generate con-tact with Senator John Breaux (D-La.). InColorado Springs, Colo., Kemm organizeda meeting attended by AFGE leaders fromthe Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, DVAMedical Center and FCI/Florence. The groupdeveloped a plan that generated 450 ActionFaxes to Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell(R-Colo.) in less than 72 hours.

Thomas at Labor Day Event

Thomas Makes Pitch on Labor Day

District 2 National Vice President DerrickThomas took the opportunity at the 2002New York City Central Labor Council LaborDay event to outline AFGE’s position onthe Homeland Security fight. AFGE mem-bers, including many from the Bureau ofPrisons and Border Patrol, participated inthe heavily attended September 3rd eventin Battery Park.

Local 2298 Secures SupportDuring the August recess, AFGE Local 2298 Leg-islative Rep. Bill Walls (left) met with SenatorErnest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) and his long-time StateAsst., Joe Maupin (right). The visit securedHollings support fot collective bargaining andcivil service rights in the Senate Homeland Secu-rity bill, S. 2452.

Local 3884 Delivers SupportLocal 3884 Pres. Larney Werth (l) and Treas. DebCederholm presented letters from AFGE memberssupporting the Senate version of the HomelandSecurity bill to Ken Carvelle, State Director for Sen-ator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.). The board behindthem reads a Benjamin Franklin quote:Those whowill trade freedom for security will soon lose both.The Local also held a membership drive in Augustadding more than 60 members.District 8 NationalVice President Terry Rogers attended.

Poll Supported AFGE’s PositionA poll sponsored by the AFL-CIO found thata majority of Americans recognize theimportance of guaranteeing job protectionsand rights to union representation foremployees of the Department of HomelandSecurity. At the time the poll was taken inAugust, the Senate was debating legislationto create the new department while theBush Administration was insisting that170,000 employees of the proposed depart-ment should have no collective bargainingor civil service rights. President Bush threat-ened to veto Homeland Security legislationcountless times in August and Septemberunless it stripped department employees oftheir rights.

The poll asked: Should the employeesof the Department of Homeland Securityhave the same job protections and rightsto union representation that other federalemployees have?

AFL-CIO Unions, Leaders, andFriends Support AFGE Members • “We will not let this Administration bust

your union,” said AFL-CIO’s Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka to AFGE mem-bers at AFGE’s National LeadershipMeeting in Chicago in August.

• AFL-CIO President John Sweeney has per-sonally lobbied members of Congress onbehalf of AFGE and its members in Augustand September over Homeland Security.

• The AFL-CIO set up a sophisticated “Pro-tect Workers’ Rights in the HomelandSecurity Bill” blast fax system that deliv-ered 4,000-total faxes to all 100 Senators.

• The AFL-CIO also called some 1,000union members in key states to get themto join the fight by calling their membersof Congress and paid for full-page adver-tisements in major national newspapers.

• AFSCME held a News Conferenceattended by Dist. 3 NVP Jeff Williams inPhiladelphia. Lobbyists from the AFL-CIOand and other unions are working on theHill and each State AFL-CIO has signeda letter of support and made phone callson AFGE’s behalf.


14%said they should

NOT have the samerights/protections

as others

74%said they shouldhave the same

rights/protectionsas others 12%

were not sure


AFGE Testifies atNational Commissionon the Public ServiceAFGE provided testimony on employeemorale and the human capital crisis beforethe national commission charged withbringing comprehensive reform in the fed-eral public service. Mark Roth, AFGE’sGeneral Counsel, told the National Com-mission on the Public Service that “AFGEmembers feel they are regularly placedunder attack by anti-government politi-cians and political appointees.” Rothpointed out that AFGE members “desper-ately want to make a difference in theirjobs and provide efficient and effectiveservice to the public but lately, more thanever, they have less of a say over how thework can best be done — they’re frus-trated.” For AFGE’s recommendations forcivil service reform and a complete copyof the testimony, log onto www.afge.org.

AFGE wins BackPay for 12AFGE recently reached a set-tlement agreement with theDepartment of the Navyinvolving over $190,000 inback pay for a dozen Elec-tronic Technicians.

Over 15 years ago, theNavy determined that theworkers were entitled to thebenefits of the Fair Labor Stan-dards Act (FLSA), but laterchanged this determinationbased on an Office of Per-sonnel Management (OPM)

regulation which mandated that all GS-11 orhigher employees be exempt from FLSA.

AFGE brought a lawsuit to challenge theregulation and it was declared unlawful bythe Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in1987 in AFGE v. OPM, 821 F.2d 761 (D.C.Cir. 1987). However, the government con-tinued to classify the workers as FLSAexempt. The 12 Electronic Technicians willreceive back pay dating back to 1987.

“AFGE has brought justice to the lives andfamilies of these 12 Navy workers,” said AFGENational President Bobby L. Harnage. “AFGEand the Navy workers stuck with this case for15 years and righted a serious wrong.”

House AbolishesOutsourcing Quotas The House of Representatives passed in JulyRep. Jim Moran’s (D-Va.) amendment toabolish the Office of Management and Bud-get’s (OMB) ill-conceived outsourcing quo-tas. Banning these quotas will allow federalagencies to determine when and if govern-

ment services should be considered for out-sourcing rather than forcing agencies to meetOMB’s arbitrary mandate. The House votederailed the White House’s pro-contractoroutsourcing give aways without competition—for now. Identical language is included inthe Senate Treasury Appropriations bill. OMBDirector Mitch Daniels insists that the Pres-ident will veto any legislation that includesthe Moran amendment. See the 2002 VoterGuide on page 11 for information on theKennedy Amendment in the Senate.

OPM Waives BluesFEHBP Premiums Rise The Office of Personnel Management’s(OPM) announcement in September thatBlue Cross/Blue Shield would once againreceive a waiver from current federal costaccounting standards. AFGE has held theposition that cost accounting standards areabout corporate accountability and keepcontractors, including insurance companies,from allocating costs to the government thatthey incur when serving other customers.

OPM also raised premiums in the FederalEmployees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)by an average of eleven percent. Federalemployees and retirees have the opportu-nity to change plans during the open sea-son between Nov. 11 and Dec. 9.

Fast FactDid you know that in the last four years,FEHBP premiums have risen by 49 percent,far faster than the average growth of healthcare costs generally during the same period?And that Blue Cross/Blue Shield premiumshave gone up even more?


AroundThe Hill

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In August, President Bush refused to releasethe FY 2002 emergency supplemental fundsfor veterans’ medical care. Failing to signthe release of the supplemental funds aspassed by Congress, Bush slashed $275 mil-lion earmarked for the Department of Vet-erans Affairs (DVA). The money was badlyneeded to provide life saving medical carefor our nation’s veterans.

“I am shocked that President Bush is sac-rificing veterans’ health care,” said AFGENational President Bobby L. Harnage. “Cur-

rently, veterans are being denied access tomedical care because the DVA simply doesnot have enough staff to meet the increas-ing demand for care.”

Congress recognized that the DVA needed$417 million in additional funds for this fis-cal year just to maintain the status quo inservices. The President refused to releasetwo-thirds of these funds—$275 million.

“It is clear that inadequate funding hasleft the DVA with unacceptable and dras-tic choices about rationing care for veter-ans,” added Harnage. “The DVA health caresystem is reaching a breaking point.”

Nursing and medical staff are exhaustedfrom seeing too many patients. Veterans arefrustrated that they can’t even get an initialappointment for care. Homeless veteransand other vulnerable segments of the vet-eran population are being turned away fromthe DVA because there are no treatment bedsto care for those with mental illness that wastriggered or exacerbated by combat.

AFGE represents some 140,000 employ-ees at the DVA.


AFGE was joined by more than 25 civil rights, labor andemployee advocate organizations at a civil rights rally inWashington, D.C., opposing the Equal Employment Oppor-

tunity Commission’s (EEOC) proposal to change the discrimina-

tion complaints process that included eliminating agency investi-gations and hearings before administrative judges. The changeswould affect over 500,000 federal employees.

The rally took place in late July to not only protest the proposedchanges but also EEOC Chair Cari Dominguez’s decision to imple-ment the changes without holding public hearings.

“Under the new rules, federal employees would be denied theirdue process rights,” said Andrea E. Brooks, Director of AFGE’sWomen’s & Fair Practices Departments, at the rally.

The proposed changes would specifically: discourage federalagencies from settling complaints; deprive both agencies and com-plainants of necessary information to properly and fully evaluatediscrimination complaints; cause a massive increase in civil rightslawsuits in federal court; and gut the spirit of the recently enacted“No FEAR” Act. Log onto www.afge.org for a copy of the letter AFGEsent to the EEOC opposing the proposal.

Bush Breaks Sacred Trust With Nation’s Veterans

AFGE Hosted Civil Rights Rally

2003 Legislative Conference

Mark your calendars today for AFGE’s 2003 Legislative & Grass-roots Mobilization Conference to be

held February 9-13, 2003, at theHyatt Regency on Capitol Hill,

Washington, D.C.

Visit www.afge.org for more details.


Government WorkersBeware

Quotas:The Bush Administration has been trying torandomly convert or compete at least 425,000federal jobs under a quota system that willenable the Administration to award work tocorporations that contributed to Bush’s 2000presidential campaign. If you find this diffi-cult to believe, just ask Angela Styles, a sen-ior official in the Office of Management andBudget. “The quota is the President’s idea,”said Styles on March 6, 2002, during a Sen-ate hearing.

Employees of U.S. Attorneys’Offices Silenced: On January 7, 2002, President Bush treatedemployees in the U.S. Attorneys Offices asdisloyal Americans by taking away their right

to union representation—a right they had for20 years. The Executive Order revoked unionrepresentation for workers in the Departmentof Justice’s (DoJ) U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, theCriminal Division, the U.S. National Cen-tral Bureau of INTERPOL, the National DrugIntelligence Center and Office of IntelligencePolicy and Review.

News reports said Bush acted to preventstrikes by workers in offices engaged in intel-ligence, investigative and law enforcementwork. However, current federal law preventsworkers in those offices, and other federalagencies, from striking.

Panel is Fired: On the same day DoJ workers were silenced,Bush fired the seven members of the FederalService Impasses Panel (FSIP). The panel helpsto protect the collective bargaining rights offederal employees. Because federal workersdo not have the right to strike, the FSIP is thelast resort when unions and federal agencies

reach an impasse on negotiable issues. Threedays later, on January 10, Bush nominatedfour conservatives to the board, includingBecky Norton Dunlop, Vice President of theultraconservative Heritage Foundation.

Federal Contract PolicyChanged to BenefitCompanies:On December 27, 2001, President Bushrevoked prior policy to allow federal agen-cies to sign contracts with companies thathave a history of breaking environmental, con-sumer protection, civil rights, labor and taxlaws. The policy change allows far more com-panies to eventually profit under a contract-ing out quota system.

Basic Worker Rights andProtections Excluded in TSA: In December of 2001, Bush blocked Con-gressional proposals to provide federal air-


A Crusade for a Union-Free AmericaBush Administration officials and leaders in the Republican-

controlled House have been leading a silent campaign to rid thefederal government and private sector of unions.

Below are some of the efforts that have grabbed little or no attention.

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port screeners in the newly created Trans-portation Security Administration (TSA) withthe same rights and benefits afforded to otherfederal employees. Some of the rights andbenefits involve health and life insurance,retirement benefits, workers’ compensation,veterans preference, equal employmentopportunity rights, whistleblower rights, andrights to organize.

Labor-ManagementPartnerships, Worker Protections Abolished:In February of 2001, Bush abolished labor-management partnerships in the federal gov-ernment through an Executive Order, ensuringfederal employees’ concerns and ideas are nolonger heard in the work place. Bush issuedthree additional anti-worker, anti-union ordersthat were sought by corporate campaign con-tributors. The first order ended job retentionprotections that cover ‘working poor’ employ-ees of service contractors in federal buildings.The second order effectively barred projectlabor agreements on federally funded con-struction projects. The final order requiredgovernment contractors to post notices tellingemployees they cannot be required to becomeunion members and may object to paying theportion of union fees not related to collectivebargaining. The U.S. District Court for the Dis-trict of Columbia overturned this order on Jan-uary 2, 2002, stating that Bush had noauthority to issue the measure and prohibitedthe Administration from enforcing it.

Watch Out Workers

Privatized Air Traffic: Bush signed an Executive Order on June 4,2002, that stripped the nation’s air traffic con-trol system of its designation as an “inherentlygovernmental” operation, opening the doorto the privatization of our nation’s air trafficcontrollers.

Ergonomic Guidelines: The Labor Department announced a watered-down, voluntary and unenforceable plan on

April 5, 2002, to replace the tough ergonom-ics standard Bush killed in 2001. The newplan would rely on as yet undeveloped vol-untary guidelines for selected industries,which are not even identified. On April 19,Labor Secretary Elaine Chao admitted duringa Senate hearing that the Occupational Safetyand Health Administration (OSHA) has noplans to enforce voluntary guidelines. Exceptfor the announcement that nursing homeguidelines might be developed by the endof the year, Chao couldn’t name other poten-tial targeted industries or offer a timetablewhen other industry-specific ergonomicsguidelines might be ready.

Since Bush signed the legislation repeal-ing OSHA’s ergonomics standard, more than1.8 million workers across the country havesuffered injuries, such as carpal tunnel syn-drome, caused by repetitive motion, heavylifting and poorly designed work stations.

Job Training for JoblessWorkers Slashed: Ignoring the sharp increase in unemploymentand economic hardship, the Administration’sproposed 2003 budget cuts worker trainingprograms by nine percent. The proposed cutsin job training run counter to the emphasis inhis 2002 State of the Union message about cre-ating jobs to “defeat this recession.” Bush said,“My economic security plan can be summedup in one word—jobs.” The various jobtraining programs targeted for cuts aredesigned to help jobless workers learnnew skills, prepare adults movingfrom welfare to work in the jobmarket and provide educationaland training opportunities foryoung people in poverty.

Congress UrgedNot to RequireWorkers’ Rights inTrade Agreements: In June of 2001, Bush officialscalled on Congress to allow thePresident to negotiate trade agree-ments without including workers’rights. Speaking to business leaders at theWhite House in mid-June, Bush said, “We

should not let legitimate environmental andlabor concerns undermine the capacity of thepresident to make good free-trade agreements.”

Tax Cut Favored theWealthy: On June 7, 2001, Bush signed a tax cut billthat gave nearly 40 percent of the benefit tothe wealthiest one percent of taxpayers andjust 12.7 percent to the bottom 60 percentof taxpayers. Officially the bill’s price tag is$1.35 trillion through 2011, but most esti-mates peg the cost to be much higher, up to$2.3 trillion. The tax cut consumed revenueneeded to pay for improved schools, a pre-scription drug benefit under Medicare andstrengthening Social Security. In the follow-ing decade, the cost could climb an additional$4.3 trillion. In addition, 34 million taxpay-ers did not receive a rebate check and another17 million received only a partial rebate.

Administration Called forAbolition of Corporate Taxes:Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said Ameri-can corporations should pay no income taxand the capital gains taxes for businessesshould be abolished.

—www.afge.org The Government Standard — Sept./Oct. 2002

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★


The bubble did it. Or so goes the newly fash-ionable, no-fault explanation for the cas-cading corporation scandals now posing aclear and present danger to the U.S. econ-omy. “The ’90s were a period of excess,”intones head White House economistLawrence Lindsay.

Every economic bubble since the DutchTulip Mania in the 1500’s has been markedby scandal and crime. We were all sweptup in the craze, captured by the desire toget rich quick. Since we’re all implicated,no one is responsible. The market is comingback to earth; we’ll sort out the few “badapples,” the lawbreakers, and move on.

Bull. This bubbleology would allow con-servatives to shirk responsibility for whatthey have wrought. The fact is that after the“excesses” of the 1920’s drove us into theGreat Depression, there was no equivalentepidemic of financial and political corrup-tion for 50 years until the current crimewave. That’s because Franklin D. Roosevelt’sNew Deal put cops on the beat to policecorporations and regulate their behavior.

The Securities and Exchange Commissionwas created to review the books. The Glass-Steagall Act separated investment housesfrom commercial banks to end corrosiveconflicts of interest. The Federal Trade Com-mission and the Justice Department lim-ited mergers and monopolies. Unions, some30 percent of the work force, made com-panies more responsible to their workers.

It is no accident that the current wave ofcostly corporate scandals followed the rise ofmodern conservatism to political power two

decades ago. Ronald Reagan governed whiledenigrating government as “the problem, notthe solution.” Reagan’s Commerce Depart-ment drew up a hit list of regulations resentedby business (“the Terrible 20”). And of courseReagan signed the law that deregulated thesavings and loans associations, while hisappointee revoked requirements that any S&Lhave 400 shareholders. The resulting infamiescost taxpayers many billions.

The conservative assault on governmentreached fever pitch when Newt Gingrichled the “perfectionist” caucus of the Repub-lican right to take over Congress. For Gin-

grich conservatives, government regulationwas creeping Stalinism. House Majorityleader Dick Armey said that in the New Dealand the Great Society, “you will find, witha difference only in power and nerve thesame sort of person who gave the world itsFive Year Plans and Great Leaps Forward—the Soviet and Chinese counterparts.”

And it wasn’t just rhetoric. “Regulatoryagencies have run amok and need to bereformed,” said Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas,the House majority whip, as he invited busi-ness lobbyists to detail the regulations theywanted gutted.

A centerpiece of Gingrich’s Contract WithAmerica was “securities reform.” Passed in1995 over President Clinton’s veto, the billshielded outside accountants and law firmsfrom liability for false corporate reporting,and made it more difficult for shareholdersto bring suit against fraudulent reporting. Aflood of corporate misstatements has fol-lowed, with nearly 1,000 companies restat-ing misleading reports in the past five years.

Then there were the compromised audi-

tors of Enron and WorldCom, loathe to risklucrative consulting fees from the compa-nies they audited. In the 1990’s, Clinton’sSEC chairman, Arthur Levitt, waged a longand bitter campaign to ban this basic con-flict of interest. The accountants’ lobby—led by one Harvey Pitt — blocked thereforms, with Republicans Billy Tauzin inthe House and Phil Gramm threatening togut the SEC’s budget if Levitt went forward.

Meanwhile, investment analysts at Mer-rill Lynch were rewarded for recommend-ing stocks they considered “junk” to unwaryinvestors. That conflict of interest was a directresult of the repeal of the Glass-Stegall Act,which had separated commercial and invest-ment banking since the 1930’s.

Or consider Enron itself. Its business planwas a political plan, to free itself of regula-tion and oversight. The Gramms—Wendyas head of the Commodity Futures TradingCommission under Bush I and Senator Phil—played a major role in exempting Enron’strading in energy futures and derivatives fromfederal regulation. Wendy Gramm then gota lucrative position on the Enron Board.

President Bush wants to pose as tough oncrime now, but he came to office tailoringhis rhetoric and administration to fit Rea-gan’s pattern. He campaigned against the“excessive regulation” of the Clinton years.He appointed the accountants’ lobbyist, Har-vey Pitt, to head a “kinder and gentler” SEC.His first SEC budget proposed eliminating57 staff positions. His Treasury secretaryimmediately shut down intergovernmentalefforts to monitor the offshore corporate taxhavens at the heart of Enron’s financialmaneuvers. And the president still opposesreforms to curb the executive stock optionsthat allowed CEO’s to plunder their owncompanies.

Markets require rules. We have to domore than lock up a few corrupt corporateexecutives. We have to clean out the mis-guided conservative politicians who helpedcreate the conditions in which the corruptcould thrive.

The author, Robert L. Borosage, is co-directorof the Campaign for America’s Future and an edi-tor of Straight Talk 2002, available at www.our-future.org.


Common Sense Economics

The Conservative Bubble Boys

What laissez-faire, anti-government zealots did by

trashing government,cutting regulatory

budgets and authority,and blocking needed

reforms was to weakenthe cop on the beat.


The Government Standard — Sept./Oct. 2002 Page 15 —www.afge.org

Democracy-In-ActionThe first meeting of its kind for AFGE—andorganized labor for that matter—was abouteveryone having a say in where AFGE shouldbe in five years, how we should get there,and who would make it happen. Harnagelaid out the purpose and tone of the meet-ing by saying, “You’re in charge — this isabout you and your union.” Harnage wenton to say, “We must make sure our union isstrong enough in the future to win on behalfof our members. And, when we all leavehere, we must go home unified with the pur-pose of putting in place the action that willmake it happen.”

“You’re in charge—this is about youand your union.”

– Bobby L. Harnage

Day one centered on getting to know oneanother and understanding what’s happen-ing in the world. Several speakers painted aclear picture of the strengths, weaknesses,opportunities and threats facing AFGE andthe labor movement. Day two focused ondeveloping a strategic plan while day threewas about working out the details—ham-mering out how best to implement a plan atthe Local, District, Council and Nationallevels. It was on the third day that laptopswere placed on each of the 70 tables forattendees to input ideas on ways to meet dif-ferent goals. After the ideas were prioritized,members voted on the issues that shouldreceive the highest priorities over the next

36-60 months. On the last day, attendeestalked about how they could implement thepriorities back home. “We made a giant leapforward with this meeting,” said Harnage.Heads shook in complete agreement.

Revised AFGE Strategy

VisionTo promote and protect the best interestsof workers in government service by ensur-ing Justice, Equality, Fairness and Dignity sothat the principles of Freedom, Democracyand Justice flourish and endure in our nation.

MissionTo quickly and effectively build the powerand influence of our union by organizing,educating and mobilizing workers in gov-ernment service to collectively advocatein the workplace, the community, the mediaand the political and legislative processesin all levels of government.

Core Values• AFGE is a community of workers ded-

icated to improving the quality of lifefor all America.

• It is our right to justice, equality anddignity.

• We must be accountable to ourmembers and the public we serve.

• We adapt to succeed in our changingenvironment.

• We determine our future throughcollective action.

• Democratic decision-making is the cor-nerstone of AFGE.

• Diversity and inclusion are reflectedthroughout AFGE.

• Fairness, integrity, honesty and serviceguide our path.

• Solidarity forever.

Strategic GoalsCommunication/Public Relations (provide

useful and timely information relevant toissues important to AFGE success and todevelop aggressive public relations to givethe union positive exposure)

Leadership and Education (dramaticallyimprove the educational and union lead-ership development program at all levels)

Legislative Action (to initiate and advanceAFGE’s legislative agenda and build agrassroots movement that actively involvesmembers, other unions and allies)

Recruitment and Organizing (create a work-place where people are expected andinspired to belong and become activemembers)

Political Action (leaders and members arePAC contributors and activists supportingpoliticians, issues and policies friendly toAFGE and working families)

Workplace Representation (provide pro-fessional representation at the work sitethrough strong, well-trained and effectiveofficers, stewards and staff)

Unity (in an environment of mutual respect,we will resolve internal disputes efficientlyand effectively)

AFGE’s NationalLeadership

MeetingOver 625 AFGE leaders from Councils, Locals and Districts acrossthe country met in Chicago August 17-21, to draft a blue print forAFGE’s future. “It is time to move forward and into the future,” saidNational President Bobby L. Harnage, reciting a fortune cookie heopened the night before as he officially opened the meeting. Themeeting was a success—leaders finalized a strategic plan (below)that will move the largest federal employees union forward. AFGE’sentire plan is available on www.afge.org/nlm—check it out today.


Schakowsky“When there’s no strategy for victory,

there’s no hope,” commented Congress-woman Schakowsky in her opening remarks.“People care. They just think they can’t doanything about it—that’s where I come in.”Below are excerpts from Schakowsky’sspeech. For the complete text, log ontowww.afge.org/nlm.

“Over the past two years, we have seena coordinated and concerted effort byRepublicans to attack public employeesthrough (1) budget cuts, (2) privatization andderegulation and (3) anti-union activities.

The Bush budget proposes cuts in everythingfrom job training (down $686 million) toenvironment (down $461 million) to ele-mentary and secondary education initiatives(down $90 million). The proposed budgetdoesn’t provide pay parity in agencies likethe SEC and cuts administrative resourcesfor Medicare.

“These cuts are not necessary. Last sum-mer, we had a $5.6 trillion surplus—a sur-plus that has disappeared not because ofspending on homeland security (whichaccounts for 12 percent of the disappearingsurplus) but because of tax cuts for million-aires. According to the Congressional Bud-

get Office, those tax cuts are the singlebiggest reason why we now have a deficitinstead of a surplus—(39 percent of the dis-appeared surplus).

“Many issues over the past few years havebeen decided by a handful of votes, virtuallyby party line. A switch of one vote wouldhave defeated fast track in 2001; a switchof two votes would have stopped the tradebill this June. A switch of two votes wouldhave stopped fast track. A switch of two voteswould have defeated the economic stimu-lus bill in the House that gave Enron $254million in retroactive alternative minimumtax payments but provided no assistance forlaid-off workers. A switch of three voteswould have made HMO’s fully liable fordecisions that injure or kill patients. A switchof five votes would have stopped corporatepension loopholes that allow executives toprofit while employees lose savings. A switchof six votes would have gotten real unem-ployment and health assistance to laid offairline workers last November. A switch ofsix votes would have defeated the Republi-can bill that turned Medicare prescriptiondrug coverage over to private insurers. Anda switch of eight votes would have elimi-nated that anti-union provision in the [House]Department of Homeland Security bill.”

The Government Standard — Sept./Oct. 2002Page 16 —www.afge.org

(l-r) Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Susan Schurman, President of the George Meany Center for LaborStudies & the National Labor College, and Art Shostak, futurist.

The SpeakersAmeeting is only as good as it speakers—and there were some

outstanding speakers. On day one, a panel of AFGE’ers dis-cussed What are the attacks we face? Gabrielle Martin dis-

cussed EEOC regulations, Mark Gibson outlined DoD privatizationand Linda Bennett highlighted privatization in the DVA. T.J. Bon-ner discussed Homeland Security, Barbara Milton laid out the issuesfor D.C. government employees and Brian DeWyngaert, who mod-erated the panel, spelled out the coming crisis in government. Toillustrate the crisis, DeWyngaert asked each of the 625 attendees tostand up and move to the perimeter of the room when he announcedan issue that might affect them and their livlihood. After namingonly five issues, everyone was standing and gazing at 70 emptytables. What we face is real and we must build our union to win.

Later in the day, participants heard from another panel—What ison the horizon? Art Shostak, a futurist, discussed tomorrow’s tech-nology trends and how those trends will affect AFGE. Susan Schur-

man, President of the George Meany Center for Labor Studies &the National Labor College, outlined the future of labor unions.Chicago-native Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) laid out the politicallandscape of today and tomorrow. While Shostak emphasized theneed for AFGE’ers to understand they are part of a global commu-nity that is already connected electronically, Schurman spelled outthe state of union affairs. “Class warfare is being thwarted uponus,” she said before outlining the three things that must be done. “Wemust organize more people, change—invent new forms of union-ization and represent all who work by their own labor—and we mustfight.” She also provided an equation of what’s been happening inAmerica. “Less regulation in government plus less labor unions equalsmore money for corporations and businesses. Two things stand inthe way of corporations and businesses—government and laborunions.” She closed by stating, “This union can change this coun-try around—we’re counting on you to do it.”

“The best and most informativeAFGE conference I’ve been to inmy 30 years,” said Curtis Jackson

of Local 3344.

AFGE’S NATIONAL LEADERSHIP MEETING


TrumkaAFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard

Trumka addressed the National Meeting onMonday, August 19. And what he had tosay left a lasting impression. What we havestacked up against us is real. And what wemust do, we must do now—act. For a com-plete text of Trumka’s speech, go the spe-cial National Leadership Meeting sectionof AFGE’s Web site, www.afge.org/nlm.

“The President’s homeland securitydemand is as hypocritical as it is disingen-uous. During this past year, federal employ-ees have proven themselves to be what wealways knew you were—heroes every day.That was true on 9/11 and in the aftermath—from the federal emergency workers atground zero, to workers in the JusticeDepartment and the Border Patrol and theINS, to those, old and new, working in air-port security—you have manned the bar-ricades against terrorism.

“The vast majority of all of these heroesat every level have been union members,and the fact that they belonged to unionshelped them pull together and accomplishHerculean tasks. For the President then toinsinuate that having the right to union mem-bership so you can stand up for yourselfmakes you a threat to national security is aninsult to every public employee and everyunion member in America.

“In truth, the President’s demand islinked more to his continuing war on Amer-ican workers than to the war on terrorism

or to homeland security. He’s trying to useour crisis to deny more and more work-ers union membership, and further weakenour movement.

“The threat goes far beyond the mem-bership of this great union—with right-winggovernors across the country anxious toundermine us any way they can, that kindof thinking at the federal level could makeit open season on union members at everylevel—and the unions of the AFL-CIO under-stand that.

“I want you to know that the AFL-CIO andthe entire labor movement are standing withyou against this outrageous action by theAdministration. As President Harnage hassaid, the flexibility Mr. Bush wants for home-land security is just another word for whole-sale destruction of the hard-won protections

federal employees now enjoy—it is no wayto treat 170,000 heroes and we will not lethim do it.

“Our cause is just, because our values areright; because the majority of Americansshare our views and our hopes; becauseworking men and working women acrossAmerica are on our side; and because weknow that when we stand together and worktogether and fight together, we win together.”


(l-r) Trumka and Harnage talk with panel speaker Bill Fletcher.

On August 18, 2002, the first day of theNational Leadership Meeting, AFGE cele-brated its 70th anniversary. “For 70 years,AFGE has successfully represented the inter-ests of federal and D.C. workers while help-ing to improve government for the better,”said Harnage.

“Today is a good time to reflect on the sac-rifices and contributions that so many AFGEmembers, Senators, Representatives and Pres-idents have made to develop and improve

civil service and collective bargaining rights.They not only made life better for employ-ees, but they made government institutionsmore responsive to the needs of the Ameri-can people.”

To find out about the 42 federal employ-ees who started AFGE in 1932, along withan extensive list of AFGE accomplishments,log onto the special Anniversary section atwww.afge.org

NLM on the WebFor complete coverage of the National Leadership Meeting (including panel handouts, the

Homeland Security rally, speeches, voting results, the book of Best Practices and the completestrategic plan), log onto www.afge.org/nlm.

“What scared me about the paneldiscussions was how real the attacks

are,” said Cassandra Williams,President of Local 905.“We need to stop this.”

AFGE Turns 70


In AFGE’s new Department of Education andLeadership Development, we’re working tocreate a union education program that guar-antees quality, access and leadership growthfor every member of the AFGE family.Guided, in part, by the direction set at theAFGE National Leadership Meeting, theDepartment’s efforts will focus on three keyareas: (1) Developing an AFGE nationaltraining plan; (2) Building our internal train-ing capacity; and (3) creating avenues forleadership development.

Developing a NationalTraining Plan:AFGE members are engaged in union edu-cation daily. Whether it’s training Stewards,coordinating a Lunch & Learn, advocatingfair practices, meeting with members of Con-gress, or learning Local fiduciary responsi-bilities, we’re learning by interacting with

each other and with the political and eco-nomic structures we’re a part of. To maxi-mize this learning, the Education Departmentwill work to link these activities together intoa national training network for AFGE officers,staff, and members. This effort will includedeveloping Web-based classes, as well ascreating new partnerships with labor edu-cation centers and community colleges toensure universal access to quality training.This effort will be a part of the advancementof AFGE’s effectiveness in organizing, rep-resentation and political action.

Building Our Internal Training Capacity:The AFGE national training effort requiresquality training materials and well-preparedinstructors. Currently, the Education Depart-ment is developing standardized trainingmodules for basic Steward training and newLocal Presidents training. Each module willinclude a user-friendly guide that assistsinstructors in facilitating the training. TheDepartment just completed a two-day pro-gram for national staff that reviewed adultlearning theory and teaching methods, andprovided technical assistance in preparingeffective teaching outlines. This program willbe offered quarterly to increase AFGE’scapacity to deliver quality training in the

field. Modules from this training will also bemade available to AFGE Districts, Coun-cils and Locals.

Creating Avenues forLeadership Development:AFGE activists perform many different roles—Stewards, elected officers, organizers, lob-byists, human rights and fair practices coor-dinators, and committee members. Theseresponsibilities have distinct training needs.However, every leader, from Steward toNational Vice President, requires a core setof leadership skills including effective writ-ing, communications skills, labor history andAFGE structure. Leadership development alsorequires identifying and mentoring the nextgeneration of AFGE leaders. To that end, theEducation Department will create a Leader-ship Development Institute that will empowerAFGE leaders from all levels of the unionto develop their leadership skills, expandleadership opportunities to diverse con-stituencies, and provide college credit for lifeexperience and AFGE-sponsored classes.

Imagine every AFGE member beingactively engaged in building AFGE’s powerat work, in the community and in the leg-islature. Now that’s a vision worth fightingfor. Thank you for the opportunity to serveyou in this critical work.


Get the AFGE Resource Library, TodayAFGE has created a compact disc (CD) that contains a wealth

of information, guidance and instructions covering impor-tant topics such as legislative and political representation,

workplace representation (including health and safety,discrimination and equal pay), membership and organ-izing, communications, and internal union adminis-tration. The AFGE Resource Library also includesforms, manuals and regulations.

The CD, which premiered at the National Leader-ship Meeting in Chicago, is now available to AFGE

members, activists and leaders on a first-serve basis.To order one copy of the CD, return the form to the

right along with a $5.00 check made out to “AFGE” tothe address listed. Allow two to three weeks for delivery.

Please do not mail cash.

A Vision Worth Fighting ForBy Virginia duRivageDirector, Department of Education and Leadership Development

NAME:

LOCAL:

SHIPPING ADDRESS:

DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER:

E-MAIL ADDRESS:

SEND TO: AFGE Resource LibraryATTN: Service Department80 F St., NWWashington, D.C. 20001

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the CD into your CD-ROM drive.If the program does not start

automatically, continue with these steps:

1. Select Start|Run2. Type D:\AFGE.exe

(Where D is CD-ROM).

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Retired From Work, Not From the UnionAFGE recognizes that retired members are valuable resources whocan offer assistance and leadership in a variety of activities withinLocals and communities. The wisdom they’ve gained during theirwork years can also help to protect the financial security of otherretired members.

What is the AFGE Retiree Program? AFGE is interested in talkingwith retirees in each state in an effort to form a steering committeeto develop a comprehensive, grassroots-driven retiree organizationto increase involvement in politics and legislation, assist Locals inorganizing, and to protect the benefits retirees worked hard to earn.

Why does AFGE want to do this? Retired members have expresseda strong desire to be more involved with Local and national workerand retiree issues such as privatization, pensions, prescription ben-efits and health care. AFGE’s Retiree Program, which is affiliatedwith the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), will also provide aforum for AFGE retirees to meet and network.

All current or former AFGE members interested in obtainingpre-retirement information, as well as how to join ARA, should visitthe AFGE Retiree section at www.afge.org or send an e-mail [email protected] or call (202)639.6953.

AFGE Retirees Attend ARA’s Founding MeetingA highlight for AFGE retirees during the founding meeting of theAlliance for Retired Americans (ARA) in September was a rally inMcPherson Square to protest the skyrocketing costs of prescriptiondrugs and to demand a universal, voluntary, comprehensive andaffordable prescription drug benefit under Medicare. AFGE retireesthen joined hundreds of protestors and marched to the headquar-ters of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of Amer-ica—the trade association of the drug industry. After the protest,AFGE retirees boarded buses for Capitol Hill where they stopped atCongressional offices to deliver their message to elected officials.At every stop, the AFGE retirees reminded lawmakers that no billis better than a bad bill.

Combined Federal CampaignAFGE’s National Executive Board endorsed two labor-oriented organ-izations for the 2002 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)—the UnionCommunity Fund (#9898) and the Federal Employees Education andAssistance Fund (#1234).

Union Community Fund—#9898AFGE members have a new opportunity and choice

to let their values guide their charitable giving in2002—the Union Community Fund (#9898).

The Union Community Fund is a nationalcharity created by the AFL-CIO to supportnon-profit community-based organizationsthat provide human services and addressthe concerns and issues of working families.

Support the Union Community Fund bydesignating #9898. For more information,

log onto www.unioncommunityfund.org orcall (202) 974-8389.

FEEA—#1234National President Bobby L.Harnage sits on the board ofdirectors for the FederalEmployees Education andAssistance Fund (FEEA), a pri-vate, not-for-profit corporationthat provides educational ben-

efits and emergency assistance exclusively to all civilian federal andpostal employees and their dependent family members. FEEA (#1234)receives no government funds. Virtually all of its operating revenueis derived from federal employee contributions during the CFC. Formore information, log onto www.feea.org or call (303) 933-7580.

USA Freedom CorpsAnswer the President’s call to service by volunteering. Please goto USA Freedom Corps Web site at www.usafreedomcorps.org orcall (877) USA-CORPS.


Join AFGE, TodayAFGE is the largest and most influential federal and D.C. employ-ees union in the U.S. and we’re growing stronger every day. Inthe last four years we’ve added a net increase of some 20,000 newmembers. Combined with 18,000 retired members, our total mem-bership is nearly 220,000 strong. No other union represents closeto that number of government workers.

To find out more about joining AFGE or to get a membershipform (1187 for federal employees and DC277 for D.C. workers),log onto www.afge.org and type JOIN AFGE in the search box.

ORGANIZING NEWS

CITY NUMBER OF NEW MEMBERS

Raleigh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343San Francisco. . . . . . . . . . . . . 342Detroit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Boston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240Denver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180Indianapolis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

CITY NUMBER OF NEW MEMBERS

Baltimore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230Columbus, Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . 63Seattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Kansas City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Louisville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111San Diego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Here’s a glimpse of the cities and the number offederal workers who recently joined AFGE.


We’re Here to Report WhatYou’re Doing.Do you have some old photos or news toshare? Well, send it in. After all, What’s yourLocal or Council up to? Send a photo anda short note to: The Government Standard,80 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.All photos become property of the AFGECommunications Department.

Partnership Prospers in D.C.

Local 2798, which represents AFGE membersat the Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Med-ical Center (WVAMC), has an effective part-nership with management. When evidence ofanthrax was found in the WVAMC in 2001,Local 2798 and management worked hand-in-hand to secure the safety of all employees.The partnership has not only decreased thenumber of unfair labor practices and griev-ances, but also helped Local 2798 to increaseits membership by 44 percent in 2001. (Local2798 was recognized for its membership boostat AFGE’s 2001 Convention.) “Yes, partnershipis alive and well at Local 2798,” said LocalPres. Cleo Pennington.


(l-r) Chief of HR Joseph Pishionerim, L-2798 EVPDwight Lamar and Pres. Cleo Pennington, andMedical Center Dir. Sanford Garfunkel.

(l-r) Rena Linton, Bobby Harnage and NannieBell in 1983 at an AFGE District Convention inNashville. Linton and Bell, both members of AFGELocal 2022 in Fort Campbell, Ky., have been AFGEmembers for 26 years and are currently retired.Harnage is now AFGE’s National President. Thankyou Rhonda Kellis of Local 2022 for the photo.

Local 2270 Volunteers

AFGE Local 2270, headquartered at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center inOmaha, and the Central Plains Network University teamed-up to host the second VeteransEXPO in June. More than 1,000 veterans and their families attended the event to learn aboutavailable DVA programs and services. Local 2270 members not only provided hundredsof volunteer hours to make this event a success but also donated a riding mower for thegrand prize drawing. Congratulations to Richard Greenwalt of St. Libory, Neb., a PurpleHeart recipient, on winning the grand prize.

“Volunteerism has always been a part of Local 2270,” says Local President Mike Craw-ford. “From EXPO’s to Paint-a-Thons to Standdowns, the willingness of AFGE members tocommit their time and energies has been the norm and not the exception.”

Local 2270 Sgt. at Arms Sonia Murillo

AFGE

NewsThree’s a Charm for Local 1546 AFGE Local 1546, located at the Defense Distribution Depot (Sharpe and Tracey sites) inSan Joaquin, Calif., has won three elections for representation in the past two years. In Sep-tember of 2000, the Local won an election to represent wage grade employees by 60 percentof the vote. On March 7, 2002, the Local won the election to represent employees at the newArmy and Air Force Exchange (AAFES) Western Distribution Center by 90 percent of thevote—one of the largest margins in AAFES history. And, on May 23, the Local won yet anotherelection—this one to represent Tracey Site Police Officers.

“We encourage and welcome federal employees to join the AFGE winning team,” saidLocal President Frank Payan. Local 1546 now has over 1,000 dues-paying members.



Local 498’s Picnic Committee (back row l-r): Greg Fox, David Clements, Bobby Padgett, SteveEllenwood, Karl Clayton and Dwight Booth. (Front row l-r): Michael Zeka, Betty Withrow andMichael Freeman. District 11 NVP Gerry Swanke is holding the cake.

Local 498 Celebrates AFGE’s 70th Anniversary

On August 2, members of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Local 498 in Tacoma,Wash., celebrated AFGE’s 70th Anniversary at their annual picnic. The event helped tosign up ten new AFGE members.

Local 3652 Holds Annual Picnic

Council of Prisons Local 3652 out ofChicago held its annual picnic this summerat Lake Etta in Gary, Ind. Awards were pre-sented to members and officers for their lead-ership and outstanding support throughoutthe year.

Front l-r) Denise Glenn, Micahel Rule, RashawnWalker, Linda Litmer and Patricia Allen. (Backrow l-r) Lenard Simon, Danial Bobo, RamondeHarris, Tony Hines, Jeff Jackson, Aaron Joinerand Terrance Luter.

Local 2502 Helped Save Pa. MinersSome of the members of Local 2502 who took partin the miracle rescue at the Quecreek Mine in Som-erset, Pa. Names were not provided.

Local 507 Conducts StewardTraining

In October of 2001, Local 507 in the WestPalm Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center(VAMC) in Fla., held a week-long member-ship drive that recruited over 200 members—almost doubling its membership. The largespike in membership created a need for newStewards. The Local, recognizing the void,responded and held a New Steward Train-ing Program in June. The three-day event,which also included Stewards from MiamiVAMC Local 515, trained eight new Stew-ards and provided advance Steward train-ing for the 12 existing Stewards. The trainingwas a huge success.

Local 1920 PresentsPartnership Success Story

Local 1920 and management officials fromFort Hood (Texas) recently presented “Part-nership-A Success Story” at the Texas Labor-Management Conference in San Antonio.The presentation covered how both sidesare committed to resolving issues at the low-est level and how grievances and arbitra-tions have declined from 186 in 1983 to14 in 2002. The presentation also providedsome insight into how to communicate withone another at the earliest stages on issuesrequiring union participation.

For example, joint training is providedat the installation—with the Federal Medi-ation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) asthe moderator—to educate colonels, direc-tors, officers and stewards alike on the mosteffective ways to deal with issues and getresults. The training addresses many issuesranging from official time to joint training.

Presenters at the Texas conference included (l-r):Deputy Dir. Dave Wrbas, L-1920 Pres. JeanetteWilson, Deputy Dir, Marion Dilley (standing),L-1920 EVP Tony Edwards, Manager Mark Nagle(standing), L-1920 Chief Steward Walter Greely,and L-1920 Treasurer Cheryl Eliano.


Mark Andrew Jamison, AFGE Local 3028 Chief StewardCoast Guard, Kodiak, Alaska

“In my tenure with the Coast Guard, September 11, stands out as only thesecond time our command went on high security alert. Within four hours,active duty crew and civilians worked side-by-side to deploy our nearly 300ships and the majority of our C-130 planes, H-60 Jayhawk helicopters andH-65 Dolphins.

“Members of Local 3028 ensure a quality job is done in fueling vesselsand aircraft and in delivering the food and needed services for our active dutycrew to survive at sea. Our members also are behind the scenes providinglogistical support to make sure the right parts get to the right plane at the righttime to keep our aircraft flying and our service men and women safe.

“At the same time we were deploying our air and sea fleet, we immedi-ately began to lock down and secure our base. Civilian employees took onextra security duties in addition to their existing job responsibilities. Everyemployee was ready to do what was needed—no questions asked becausewe are federal employees and proud Americans.

“I voted for George Bush as President and it’s absolutely an insult to meas an American veteran, loyal citizen and federal employee that he thinks Ican’t be trusted because I’m in a union or that he needs more flexibility toget us to do a good job.”

Page 22 —www.afge.org

When Duty CalledWhen Duty Called Seven AFGE members rapidlyresponded to the events ofSeptember 11, 2001.Here are their stories.

Denise Dukes, AFGE Local 4060 PresidentFEMA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

Within the hour after terrorists attacked the World Trade Cen-ter, Denise Dukes and most of the 800 federal employeeswho work in FEMA’s Washington, D.C., Headquarters wentinto emergency mode. Some were immediately dispatchedto N.Y. to coordinate the emergency response to the WorldTrade Tower Collapse.

On the first day of the crisis, Dukes worked a 24-hour shiftin D.C. Her job was to ensure that emergency resources—from rescue personnel to food, clothing, and water—werereaching the disaster site. There was also the job of coordi-nating the overall disaster plan—who did what, where andwhen. She then began two weeks of 12-hour shifts contin-uing to help coordinate the initial stages of the emergencymanagement plan.

“When the terrorists attacked, each and every FEMAemployee responded and deployed without question as soonas we were told to do so,” said Dukes, who is married with2 children. “Federal workers are the heart and soul of thefederal government and we will always faithfully serve ourfellow Americans, especially in time of crisis. Union mem-bers are not an obstacle to Homeland Security — we areHomeland Security.”

Michael Brescio, AFGE Local 3911EPA, Edison, N.J.

“Almost immediately after the destruction of the two towers,I was detailed to coordinate EPA’s involvement in the jointemergency response efforts of EPA, FEMA, the New York FireDepartment, the National Guard, and various state agencies.

“Our initial task was to get personal protective equipment—particularly respirators—into the hands of the determinedrescue personnel and construction trades workers who werealready working in Ground Zero’s smoking rubble.

“On September 13, I was sent to Ground Zero. Initially,we coordinated the on-scene air sampling effort to deter-mine the risk levels of exposure to the asbestos and othertoxic contaminants in the dust and smoke released fromthe disaster site.

“As the sampling continued, we also took on the task ofdirecting and coordinating the ‘super-vacuuming’ effort inthe entire Lower Manhattan region. This effort was intendedto deal with the thick omnipresent layers of grayish dust. Weworked 16-18 hour days, seven days a week, for almost twomonths. It was grueling but we just had to keep working—we just had to do what was needed to be done to protecteveryone affected.”

The Government Standard — Sept./Oct. 2002


Bill Miller, AFGE Local 1592Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah

“Over 2,000 AFGE members in AFGE Local 1592 work at Hill AFB.Our primary job is to maintain and ready for combat some of Amer-ica’s most important aircraft—the A-10, C-130 and F-16.

“The base went on high security alert the morning of September11. It quickly became clear that we needed to address a number ofimmediate problems. First, we needed to work around the clock tomaintain and arm the aircraft needed to protect our country. Second,we had to make sure that the base was secure. This meant institut-ing detailed security checks for everyone who entered the base which,to prevent long lines and unproductive down time for employees,would require flexible work schedules and longer hours on the job.

“There was never any doubt in our minds that we were going todo whatever was necessary to keep our military aircraft in the airwhere they were needed most. Vacations were cancelled, week-ends were spent working at the base, parents were forced to misstheir kids football and soccer games and other family events.

“Finally, many of our members were reservists who were calledup to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. They spent manymonths on active duty, willing to put themselves in harm’s way todefend our homeland. This in turn meant many of us had to workthat much harder because we had fewer people to get the job done.But like our committed brothers and sisters who answered the callto active duty, we were proud to work those extra hours to makesure that our country remained secure.”

Kevin Connor, AFGE Local 3721D.C. Fire & EMS Department

“On September 11, I was on duty at D.C. General Hospital when Iheard the first report of a plane crash at the Pentagon. Within min-utes, I was dispatched along with other units to the Pentagon.

“I was one of the first Paramedics on the scene and was quicklyenveloped with an event that is hard to describe even now. I foundmyself at the site of the crash where there were ten to 12 severelyburned victims.

“The initial hour was a rush of activities—triaging, comfortingand transporting all types of injured victims. As this process unfolded,we got word of a second plane heading in the direction of the Pen-tagon. I called my wife, asking her to get the kids from school andto tell them that I loved them.

“I’ve been asked many times if I can remember how many peo-ple I treated, but I honestly don’t know. The events of the day are ablur, doing what needed to be done to treat the victims. I remainedat the Pentagon until 7:00 p.m. when it became painfully clearthat there would be no more survivors.

“It’s unbelievable to me that anyone, especially Congress, wouldconsider my union membership as an obstacle to responding to anytype of emergency — whether it’s a local accident or a nationaldisaster. Paramedics like myself are proud to be union members andequally proud of the job we do on the absolute front line in anyemergency. The two don’t contradict each other.

“We’ll be there the next time the call goes out—you can count on it.”

Mark Hall, AFGE Local 2499 PresidentBorder Patrol Agent, Detroit

“In the months after the terrorists attacked the World Trade Centerand Pentagon, I became increasingly concerned about the vulner-ability of our northern border and our agency’s inadequate responseto that threat. Despite public assurances from the Immigration andNaturalization Service and the Department of Justice that we wereresponding to this threat, few agents were being posted at our sta-tion in Detroit or along the northern border that I was aware of. Ispoke with my local management about the problem and was told,essentially, to keep quiet.

“Having taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution—not the Border Patrol—I decided it was my responsibility to speakout about the danger we faced along our border with Canada. I,along with another agent and Local union officer, Bob Lindemann,talked to a newspaper and television program about our concerns.We discussed only publicly available materials, nothing sensitive.As a result of this decision, my sector chief tried to fire us immedi-ately. Failing to do so, they settled on a 90-day suspension, one-yeardemotion, and reassignment.

“The Office of Special Counsel, which investigated the Agency’saction, uncovered internal e-mails from the sector chief stating‘the President of the local union deemed it necessary to independ-ently question our readiness in a public forum,’ adding that man-agers must take a ‘stance which bears no tolerance for dissent andto view resistance from the rank and file as insubordinate.’

“It was only through the combined protections of my union, andthe whistleblower protection law, that the proposed disciplinaryactions were rescinded. Indeed, I would never have spoken out if Ihadn’t had my union behind me because whistleblower protectionsalone would not have been enough. Without such help, I would notbe a Border Patrol agent today.”

Dave Owens, AFGE Local 1101Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska

“The 689 AFGE members at Elmendorf AFB maintain the aircraftand radar responsible for North American Defense, including thestrategically important Alaska Pipeline. Aircraft stationed at the baseinclude F-15’s, AWAC’s, C-130’s and C-5’s. In short, we keep Amer-ica’s aircraft flying in times of peace and national emergencies.

“For security reasons, I can’t go into detail about the nature orfrequency of the missions flown by our aircraft. Let me just saythat the base was kept operational 24/7. I have to say that I watchedour members, most are veterans, work with great pride.

“Most of us are shocked and actually insulted by many of thecomments surrounding the Administration’s Homeland Security pro-posal. No one had to ask us for more flexibility. There was no needfor more freedom to manage. We knew our mission and I thinkwe proved again and again after September 11, that nothing willstand in the way of completing that mission.”



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AFGE- Vol. LXIX, No. V September/October 2002

AFGE- (USPS 003-219, ISSN 1041-5335) is published bimonthly and is the official membership publication of the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, 80 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., 20001Phone: (202) 737-8700, www.afge.org. Bobby L. Harnage Sr., National President, Jim Davis, National Secretary-Treasurer, Andrea E. Brooks, Dir., Women’s/Fair Practices Depts. National Vice Presidents: District 2-Derrick F.Thomas; (732)828-9449; NY, NJ, CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. District 3-Jeffrey R. Williams; (610)660-0316; DE, PA. District 4-Joseph Flynn; (410)480-1820; MD, NC, VA, WV. District 5-Charlotte Flowers; (770)907-2055; AL, FL, GA, SC, TN, VirginIslands, Puerto Rico. District 6-Arnold Scott; (317)542-0428; IN, KY, OH. District 7-Dorthy James (312)421-6245; IL, MI, WI. District 8-Terrence L. Rogers; (612)854-3216; IA, MN, NE, ND, SD. District 9-Michael Kelly; (405)670-2656; AR, KS, MO,OK. District 10-Roy Flores; (210)735-8900; LA, MS, TX, NM, Panama. District 11-Gerald D. Swanke; (360)253-2616; AK, CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY, Guam, Okinawa. District 12-Eugene Hudson; (760)597-2100; AZ, CA, HI, NV. District 14-RussellBinion; (202)639-6447; District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax Counties and the City of Alexandria in Virginia, Europe.

Produced by the AFGE Communications Dept.: Director/Editor, Magda Lynn Seymour; Assistant Director, Diane Witiak; Managing Editor & Communications Specialist, John Irvine; Web Site Administrator Ben Morris; Staff Assistant, Kim Kennedy.Designed & union printed by Mount Vernon Printing Co., Landover, Md. Periodicals Postage Paid at Washington, D.C. Postmaster: send address changes to AFGE Data Processing Dept., 80 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

AFGE ActionNews Informs& MobilizesMembers

The AFGE Action News—AFGE’s veryown e-mail delivery system—keptthousands of AFGE members

informed with up-to-the-minute news onthe House and Senate Homeland Securitydebates throughout July, August, Septem-ber and October.

In the Senate, where the HomelandSecurity debate continues, dozens of alerts

have been sent to AFGE members inform-ing them of Senate amendments and theneed for AFGE members to talk with theirSenators. As a result, thousands of mem-bers have contacted their lawmakers byphone, e-mail and fax.

Sign up for the AFGE Action News today— visit www.afge.org.


Volume LXIX, Number V - AFGE

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Transcript of Volume LXIX, Number V - AFGE