Focus on Organizing

Since the beginning of the year, many of our brothers and sisters in the federal workforce have opted for retirement. According to a recent GAO report, nearly a third of career federal employees will be eligible for collecting their end of career benefits by September of 2017. This report comes after OPM announced that more federal employees retired in 2013 than any other year in recent history. This influx of retirements comes as no surprise – we always knew they were impending.

However, we are now faced with the reality of a large number of federal employees leaving the workforce.

It is time to be proactive in addressing this issue, and it starts with dedicating ourselves to organizing. We need to make it a priority to recruit new members 365 days a year, and the NFFE organizing department has the resources available to aid Locals in recruitment efforts. From assistance in writing an organizing strategic plan to providing numerous recruitment tools and grants, NFFE’s organizing staff is at-the-ready to usher in our Union’s newest members.

Once organized, we must then cultivate our newest members into the next generation of federal leaders. NFFE has the tools to train new members through courses at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center and with the Young Federal Leaders initiative. NFFE can equip new members with all of the skills necessary to be a leader in their workplace and their Local.

Let us resolve to recruit the next generation of federal employees and cultivate NFFE’s future leaders.

William R. Dougan