October 25, 2022
Last week, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) set an internal organizing record by signing up over 100 new Forest Service employees as dues-paying members of the union. It was the first time in NFFE history that an organizing campaign resulted in the addition of over 100 members from one agency in a single week.
“Last week was one of the most rewarding weeks of my career,” said NFFE National Organizing Director Ethan West. “The enthusiasm and growth that we saw in Region 5 goes to show that NFFE has proven our union has the ability to make meaningful changes in the lives of wildland firefighters. It is encouraging to see that folks in forests across the country are dedicated to growing this union. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and commitment of our field staff and so many local leaders who volunteer their time to improving their workplaces. Thank you for your support.”
West and NFFE Business Representative Max Alonzo visited the Six Rivers, Klamath, and Shasta-Trinity National Forests in northern California to share what the union has accomplished for wildland firefighters and the work that is continuing to improve their workforce. Meanwhile, NFFE local leader Mark Munoz also encouraged his coworkers from the Inyo and Sequoia National Forests in central California to join him and the hundreds of other fire personnel as NFFE members.
“This is a truly remarkable achievement,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “I am very proud of our staff and local leaders for their commitment to empowering workers and growing this union. Although we have made important progress recently on behalf of the Forest Service employees we proudly represent, there is still much work to be done. The workers who joined our union last week will add to our strength as we continue to advocate in Washington for improvements for wildland firefighters. To all of our new members, welcome to the NFFE family.”