As a citizen of the United States of America, you have the right to seek help from your elected representatives in addressing your concerns — including policies that affect your conditions of employment as a federal employee. In a political climate where elected officials are targeting the federal workforce for deep cuts, it is essential for federal workers to speak truth to power and defend our livelihoods.
To give you the upper hand in this struggle, your union has developed the NFFE Legislative Action Center, an online toolkit that gives you the resources necessary to make a difference on Capitol Hill. With the Legislative Action Center, you will have access to template letters on some of the most important issues impacting federal employees today, such as workforce reduction, pay freezes, reductions to retirement, and others. You will also find corresponding sets of talking points that you may use to advocate on behalf of your issue when speaking to members of Congress, legislative/committee staff, or fellow employees.
“This is an extremely useful tool that NFFE-IAM members need to fight back,” said NFFE Legislative Director Randy Erwin. “The other side is coming after our livelihoods. They will not be happy until scores of federal government jobs are gone, federal employees’ pay is slashed, retirement security is crippled, health care is stripped, and the right to have union representation is gone. What is happening right now in Wisconsin is just a preview of what we are going to see on Capitol Hill this year as the GOP targets federal workers and their unions. Please use this action center to make your voice heard. We must fight back, and this is the tool you and the members of your Local can use to do that.”
In addition to the issue-based resources, there are also a number of utilities available to research and contact Congressional members/candidates. At the very top are instructions for the Capitol Switchboard, detailing how to contact your member of Congress using only your zip code. There is also a link to AFL-CIO’s voting records, which lays out how your elected officials have voted on a number of key working family issues. You can also find a link to NFFE’s Flyers and Signs page, where you can access more than a dozen different signs, brochures, and flyers to use for union bulletin boards, rallies, or organizing campaigns.
“Our goal with this project is to empower individual NFFE-IAM members and Locals to make positive change for federal employees,” said NFFE Communications Director Cory Bythrow. “These tools are critical to growing our members’ collective voice in public affairs and educating Congress on the invaluable service federal employees provide for our nation every day.”
Keep in mind that you may only contact your Congressional representatives on your own time, on your personal phone/computer, and if you make it clear that you are contacting them as a citizen, and not speaking on behalf of the agency. For more information on the Hatch Act, click here.