Last week, NFFE-IAM members arrived in droves to charge up Capitol Hill resulting in one of the most successful legislative weeks in recent history. The legislative conference was hosted at the Hyatt Regency Washington where morning sessions included invigorating speeches from labor supporters and candidates seeking the nomination for president next year. The week was capped off with an evening reception heavily attended by Democratic and Republican members of Congress who mingled with NFFE-IAM members.
“I could not be happier with member turnout and the energy that everyone brought to the Hill to promote our issues,” stated Randy Erwin, NFFE National President. “The issue papers were flying off the tables as members grabbed stacks to deliver to congressional members and staff. We printed three times the amount of issue papers as last year. There’s no doubt that NFFE-IAM members came here to make an impact.”
The issues included support for a 3.6% pay increase, opposing the president’s proposal to cut retirement and health benefits, supporting paid parental leave, supporting a buy-back provision for temporary/seasonal work, supporting a retirement fix for injured first responders, opposing the closure of Civilian Conservation Centers, rescinding damaging VA workforce laws, and supporting several provisions within the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
“I want to thank every NFFE-IAM member and the many spouses who attended this year,” Erwin added. “The energy was palpable, the people were focused, and it paid off. Since last week, several of our issue-bills gained bipartisan support, and we increased the number of cosponsors on our existing bills. Plus, we educated numerous freshman members of Congress on the topics important to federal employees. Overall, the week was a great success.”
(pictured: National Office staff and some of the NFFE-IAM members who attended the 2019 Legislative Conference, at the NFFE Reception)