NFFE’s Young Federal Leaders program is empowering young NFFE-IAM members to build their skills and become more engaged in the union.
For the last five years, NFFE has worked with unionists of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels to cultivate its young worker initiative. In that time, NFFE’s Young Federal Leaders (YFL) program has grown to include educational, leadership, and mentorship opportunities for its participants. While the program has achieved a great deal of success in a short time, it has also encountered hurdles that have challenged our young worker program in unexpected ways.
One such hurdle was the departure of YFL Coordinator Kalia Vang, who left NFFE Headquarters approximately two years ago to relocate near her childhood home in the Midwest. Kalia’s departure was a setback for the YFL program. However, with new young talent in our union emerging, NFFE is ready to reintroduce and invigorate the YFL program.
To that end, NFFE will be hosting a YFL call on Friday, April 28th at 2 PM (Eastern Standard Time), and the union is calling on all young NFFE-IAM members (who are able) to participate. NFFE also welcomes NFFE-IAM members of all ages that wish to be involved in the program to participate on the call.
Please RSVP to YFL@nffe.org if you would like to be on the call. Call-in info will be sent to you when you RSVP.
“Young Federal Leaders is such an important program for our union,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “With so many of our leaders throughout the country nearing retirement, we must be proactive about building a new generation of union activists that can carry the torch in the decades to come. I’m very glad to see our Young Federal Leaders program up and running once again.”
Young union activists across the country are excited about the return of the YFL program as well.
“For me, YFL is an opportunity for growth and development,” said Ben Hier, a 35-year old NFFE-IAM member who serves as Chief Steward and Recording Secretary for NFFE Local 7 in Portland, Oregon. “YFL is a great opportunity to be more active and more involved in our union. We need to be prepared to change and grow as a union, and YFL can prepare us for that next phase.”