The members of NFFE-IAM Local 178 learned the value of Union membership recently as the Union settled a class action grievance alleging that employees were improperly compensated under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). That grievance culminated at an event held in November in Edgewood, Maryland where NFFE-IAM members received checks as a result of the settled class action grievance.
Take a look at this short video of the event.
Dating back to 2009, NFFE Local 178 discovered that NFFE-IAM members were being short-changed of overtime pay and other compensation they were entitled to under the law. Using the Union-negotiated grievance procedure, NFFE was able to challenge payroll errors and demand that impacted employees be justly compensated.
“This is what the Union is all about – giving to our employees and making sure their benefit is taken care of,” said NFFE Local 178 President Lisa Foust.
While this FLSA grievance settlement is clearly a victory for employees who were directly affected, it is also a victory for federal employees across the country who are less likely to be cheated out of overtime pay and other compensation because NFFE is holding federal agencies accountable when NFFE-IAM members do not receive what is earned.
“This is really a great victory,” said NFFE National President William R. Dougan, who was in attendance for the November distribution event. “It’s not only a victory for the Union… but more importantly, it’s a victory for all the working men and women that were cheated out of wages by the employer.”
For employees at Aberdeen Proving Ground that have seen NFFE Local 178 spend years demanding a fair resolution to this case, the gratitude is apparent.
Said Linda Tarnowski, a member of NFFE Local 178, and recipient of awards under the class action grievance: “The Union works hard for us, and I bless them every day.”
Department of Defense employees or former employees with questions about the settlement should contact NFFE Headquarters at 202-216-4420.