For 92 years, AFGE’s mission has been to improve the lives of government workers and make sure they have the resources they need to serve the American people. Whether fighting for fair compensation or improved working conditions, our union is a major source of support for government employees who provide vital services to the American people.
When our union was chartered in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression, it was a tough time to be a union. Up to 15 million people, about 20% of the population at the time, were unemployed. Over 9,000 banks either had closed or were closing their doors. Government employees were easy targets for austerity measures. Furloughs were the norm. Overtime pay was eliminated. Retirement-age employees were forced out of their jobs. If two members of the same family worked for the government, one had to be laid off before other workers during a reduction in force.
But we have come a long way. Because of our fighting spirit, we have weathered many storms and managed to land on our feet. From securing President Kennedy’s executive order creating a system to recognize federal employee unions, to preventing wholesale privatization of government jobs, to winning a historic 31% pay raise for TSA officers, AFGE never stops fighting for what we believe in.
“AFGE has won so many legislative and policy battles that seemed impossible. But this union never gives up. I think the reason is that members, leaders and staff all believe so fervently in our cause that we take on huge challenges without fear of failure,” said AFGE Public Policy Director Jacque Simon, who has been with AFGE for more than 35 years and is the force behind the annual and locality pay raises our members have been receiving.
Our grassroots mobilization work is also a prime example of our union’s foresight. Several of our accomplishments stem from our ability to educate and build relationships with members of Congress. As Field Mobilization Director Amy Lloyd, who has been with AFGE for 24 years, explains:
“I joined AFGE in May 2000 as the SWAMP (Stop Wasting America’s Money on Privatization) campaign was building. This was the first of many mobilization campaigns I have been fortunate to be a part of as AFGE developed staff support to build local activists by having the foresight to hire a team of LPOs (Legislative Political Organizers) to work with locals to elect and build relationships with their members of Congress to work with them on issues important and vital to government employees including to protect their right to organize and be represented by a union as well as increase contributions to AFGE PAC to support those candidates.”
“In 2013 during AFGE’s Leadership Conference, AFGE leaders created the local LPC (Legislative Political Coordinator) program and have worked with LPOs to build an army of local leaders to mobilize their members to be activists on issues that range from getting fair pay increases to stopping government shutdowns,” Lloyd continued “As AFGE leaders and members have faced repeated attempts to eliminate their right to organize and have a union, they have banded together to fight back and say “I’m sticking with my union.” I’m proud to have been a small part of defeating so many of those challenges and the great successes they’ve achieved. The motto “Who are We? AFGE!” rang true in 2000 and to this day in 2024.”
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore some of our early accomplishments that led to the workplace rights we have today. As AFGE celebrates 92 years on Aug. 18, we are more determined than ever to make government a better place to work!
President Joe Biden Jan. 5 signed into law an AFGE-backed bill eliminating two controversial rules that have caused public servants to lose two-thirds or even the entire amount of their Social Security benefits.
Read More
Another group of federal employees just joined AFGE!
Read More
AFGE and allies have launched an online clearing house to share best practices and provide assistance to federal workers in understanding and exercising their rights.
Read More
