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6 Highlights from 2022 AFGE Legislative Conference

6 Highlights from 2022 AFGE Legislative Conference

April 04, 2022

Categories: The Insider

AFGE last week wrapped up our annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C. with a lot of activities that united, inspired, and renewed AFGE members’ commitment to continue to make the federal government a better place to work.

The legislative conference, which took place March 27-30, saw two rallies, several workshops, and tons of meetings among AFGE members and members of Congress.

Here are some of the highlights from the conference:

1. Members of Congress, Labor Leaders addressed federal workers in person and via videos

AFGE is honored that elected officials took the time to address AFGE members. Attending our general sessions in person were Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.).

Addressing AFGE members via videos were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Sen. Bob Casey (Pa.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.), and Office of Personnel Management Director Kiran Ahuja.

Several members of Congress also attended AFGE’s rally in person on March 29: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Rep. Andy Kim (N.J.), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Rep. Gerry Connolly (Va.), and Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii).

Labor leaders who attended the rally were Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson and National Education Association Vice President Princess Moss. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and North Carolina State AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan addressed AFGE members in person during a general session.

2. Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick vowed to make labor issues bipartisan issues

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania told AFGE members he’s fighting to make workers’ rights bipartisan issues. The co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus cosponsored the TSA Title 5 bill. He sponsored the repeal of the VA Accountability Act. He was an original cosponsor of our law enforcement officer retirement bill. Fitzpatrick also opposed government shutdowns and supports a 5.1% raise for federal workers in 2023.

Fitzpatrick said AFGE’s wish list is not too long or heavy, and he doesn’t see why Congress couldn’t provide what the union is asking for.

3. Rita Mason was honored with AFGE’s 1st Trailblazer Award

Congratulations to Rita Mason for being honored with AFGE’s first-ever Trailblazer Award!

Rita was a national vice president for the 2nd District for 15 years, after which she served as our national secretary treasurer, the FIRST African American woman to hold either of those posts. When she was an NVP, she headed up the Legislative Committee and regularly brought busloads of AFGE members to our legislative conferences to go all over Capitol Hill promoting our agenda.

Rita was recognized and lauded throughout her career by the Democratic Party, the A Philip Randolph Institute, and the State of New Jersey.

4. Freddie Cuellar was honored with AFGE Veteran of the Year award

Congratulations to Freddie Cuellar, a navy veteran and president of AFGE Local 1039 representing Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) in Houston, Texas, for being named AFGE Veteran of the Year!

Freddie has been taking on several leadership roles both at AFGE and in local organizations. From speaking at rallies to end the 2019 government shutdown to fighting for Title 5 workplace rights for TSOs to feeding families in Houston affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Freddie has been a constant advocate for working families. A native of Houston’s northside, he has been deeply involved in his community and was instrumental to the effort to create a local park for the next generation of youth coming from his neighborhood.

The City of Houston gave him the high honor of proclaiming Feb. 23, 2021 Freddie Cuellar Day in celebration of all the work he has done over the past decade fighting for working class people and giving back to the community.

5. BOP Officer Jonathan Zumkehr shared a story about how he won retention bonuses and staffing increases

AFGE Local 4070 President Jon Zumkehr addressed the AFGE legislative conference as an outstanding AFGE member who exemplifies what true at home grassroots mobilization can produce. He’s showing the power of AFGE by organizing campaigns to boost locality pay and secure 25% retention bonuses to keep experienced staff and recruit the additional staff needed at USP Thomson in northern Illinois.

Zumkehr explained how he consulted with AFGE Public Policy Director Jacque Simon about the issue and reached out to his congressional representatives Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Cheri Bustos, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth for help. He also thanked Dist. 7 NVP Jason Anderson, AFGE Communications Director Andrew Huddleston, and Communications Specialist Tim Kauffman for helping push the issue to the forefront.

Zumkehr has also been named AFGE’s 2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the year for his amazing work on pay, staffing, and health and safety of employees at his facility and Bureau of Prisons-wide.

6. Poetry Slam by North Carolina State AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan

After talking about how the labor movement is a force to be reckoned with, President McMillan brought the house down with her beautiful poem that inspired AFGE activists to carry on the fight no matter how hard it would be.

An excerpt from her poem:

“Across the nation workers are winning

And this is just the beginning

Seize the power of action that workers led

Watch as coast to coast strikes spread

Working folks are woke

For too long too many of us broke

Our economic policy a joke

We are ready for change

To mobilize, organize, engage

Tired of lawmakers turn promise breakers

Either stand for what’s right or get ready for a fight