Internal NFFE News
September 23, 2025
If you search Eric Antrim’s name, you’ll find opinion pieces in the Juneau Empire and Juneau Independent covering worker solidarity and the weekly Stand for Staff protests outside the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. But what you won’t entirely find in those articles is the steady, behind-the-scenes work he pours into his Local 251 everyday as recording secretary for the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).
An engineer with the U.S. Forest Service, Eric lives by a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” For him, it’s not just a saying, but a greater way of life.
“I only ask my local to do what they can,” Eric said.
Wanting to see his local become more active and make a difference in the workplace, he revived his local’s monthly meetings by pointing to the union bylaws. That push brought members together for their first meeting in quite some time.
Beyond productive union meetings, Eric has worked to strengthen communication and visibility. He built and maintains nffe251.org, his local’s website, to serve as a hub for members and the public. While keeping it updated can be difficult with his Forest Service work, other commitments and arising challenges, the site reflects his dedication to connection between the local members.
Eric has also been a constant presence in Juneau, speaking up for workers and truly living in solidarity by showing support at community events.
“I’m just looking for allies and encouraging them where I find them,” he explains. “I’ve found many allies in Juneau. Sometimes I show up as an individual progressive activist, but I always make it clear my focus is on my local.”
Even outside the workplace, his solidarity is front and center. At press time, Eric was traveling by ferry from Juneau to Skagway to run in the Klondike Road Relay, a legendary cross-border race. This year, he’s tackling leg two of the course, marking his sixth of the race’s ten total segments. He shared that the team is mostly Canadian, but have welcomed him.
And, his efforts reach far beyond Juneau. From fighting for grievances to keeping meetings alive, from building digital tools to displaying signs at rallies, maintaining a website to creating a better work environment than he has experienced, his steady commitment is strengthening his local one step at a time and setting a positive example for the greater NFFE union membership.
In his own words, he’s just doing what he can with what he has.