Last week, leadership and staff of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) met at its annual organizing and recruitment strategic planning session at the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Maryland. Attendees included National President Randy Erwin, National Secretary-Treasurer Dave Stamey, National Executive Council (NEC) officers, national business representatives, headquarters staff, benefits providers, and council representatives. Facilitated by President Erwin, the meeting gave leaders from around the country an opportunity to share their experiences from 2019 and discuss strategies to fuel growth for NFFE in 2020.
On the top of the agenda were discussions about the union’s continuing response to the anti-worker Trump Executive Orders (EO) that NFFE-IAM delayed in the courts, but federal agencies are now implementing to varying degrees across the federal government. These antifederal worker EOs are negatively impacting NFFE Locals, Councils, and members across the country. NFFE’s legal team provided insights on best practices for handling EO implementation at the local level, including agency requests to open contracts or the eviction of members from union spaces. The results of a comprehensive survey conducted late last year provided valuable information on real-life impact of the EOs on NFFE Locals, which led to the authorization of additional outreach tools and other resources.
Certain items NFFE leaders can be looking for in the weeks and months to come that stem from last week’s discussions include: 1) new online resources available to Local officers via NFFE’s new website, 2) more steward and officer training designed to be delivered in various places across the country, 3) the hiring of a NFFE national organizing director, 4) new resources to mitigate the effects of the EOs, and 4) renewal of the Organizing Donation Program.
“I am extremely proud of what NFFE leaders accomplished this week with the development of new organizing and Executive Order response plans,” said President Erwin. “We recognize that 2020 will bring its fair share of challenges; however, we are committed more than ever to sustain and grow membership despite those challenges. The work many of NFFE’s leaders did at the planning sessions resulted in a great work product. I’m fired up about where this union is going in 2020!”