Whether it’s keeping our military safe, taming forest fires, caring for veterans, or a host of other jobs, members of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) are doing important work on behalf of the American people every day.
NFFE-IAM Executive Director Randy Erwin sat down to talk with the Machinists News Network about the image of federal employees, the challenges federal workers face, and how public and private sector unions have interwoven interests.
Watch “Viewpoint with Randy Erwin.”
“Think about the nurse caring for that veteran,” said Erwin, who noted that 85 percent of the federal workforce is not in the Washington, DC area. “Think about the people putting out that wildfire. Think about the people keeping our military ready. That’s the work federal employees really do.”
Union strength in the private sector affects federal workers because public workers’ pay scales are based on what private sector workers make in similar jobs, says Erwin.
“You bust the unions in the private sector, then the pay scale is going to go down for federal workers,” said Erwin.
Representing about 110,000 government employees NFFE-IAM is the oldest union representing federal employees.