Milwaukee, WI – Last week, professional employees at the U.S. Forest Service’s Eastern Region Regional Office, located in Milwaukee, WI, chose NFFE as their exclusive bargaining representative. The non-professional employees working from the office were already represented by NFFE Local 2165 prior to the election process, but the local now represents both the professional and non-professional employees who work in that office and at remote locations.
The inclusion of the professional employees added 43 potential new members to the bargaining unit. Professional employees at the local hold a wide variety of positions within the Forest Service, including soil scientists, engineers, foresters, hydrologists, and fire management officials.
The successful expansion of Local 2165 resulted from several months of hard work. The election petition was submitted to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) in October, 2008, while NFFE’s National Convention was taking place nearby in Milwaukee. Forest Service management officials disputed the size of the bargaining unit with the FLRA, which oversees representational elections, but due to the diligence of several union representatives, NFFE prevailed in holding the unit size at 43.
A number of individuals deserve credit for bringing union representation to the professional employees at Local 2165. This election would not have been possible without the dedication of Local 2165 Steward Richard Hart, Forest Service Council Region 9 Vice President and NFFE National Vice President Jozef Drozdowski, and NFFE Business Representative Gary Johanson, among others. Thank you for your hard work, and congratulations on a successful campaign!