AFGE Urges Congress to Avoid Government Shutdown
September 18, 2023
AFGE is urging members of Congress not to repeat the same mistakes they made a few years ago.
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Are You a New Unionist and Don’t Know Where to Start? We’ve Got You Covered!
August 07, 2023
Categories:
The Insider
AFGE continues to welcome new leaders and activists to our family, and this year is no different. With more than 900 locals nationwide, our union strives to make sure new unionists have the tools and resources they need to succeed.
At our Human Rights Training Conference last week, for example, AFGE offered classes such as lobbying, equal employment opportunity, collective bargaining, diversity, equity and inclusion, racial justice, health and safety, and organizing.
One of the classes was the New Unionist Training designed especially for those new to the world of union activism and AFGE.
During the class, which was taught by the National AFGE Y.O.U.N.G. Committee, attendees learn about the resources AFGE provides:
- Broadstripes, a program that helps local unions text, email, and even call members and potential members.
- AFGE’s website at www.afge.org, a treasure trove of information everyone needs to check out and know how to navigate.
- Virtual and in-person trainings on all kinds of topics related to being a local officer and activist. Just click on the Leaders + Activists tab on afge.org and click on Training & Education.
- AFGE social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Be sure to sign up to stay connected and show support for our union.
- AFGE constituency groups: Y.O.U.N.G., PRIDE, B.L.A.C.K., A.P.O.W.E.R., HISCO, Human Rights Committee, Retirees, and Veterans. If you haven’t done so, check out the AFGE Y.O.U.N.G. Podcast where we discuss real world topics and share personal experience stories from all levels of the labor movement. Check out Women and Fair Practices Departments, which host several of our constituency groups.
- AFGE logos which can be downloaded and put on newsletters, emails, T-shirts, etc.
They also learned about free resources available online:
- Discord – a free cloud communication app that syncs over all devices. It’s like Whatsapp and Zoom combined.
- Trello – a mobile friendly collaboration system that allows you to make a list of what you need to get done.
- Zoom – a video conference call platform.
- Teams – a communication platform that allows for instant messaging and video/calls.
Taylor Wensel, AFGE District 11 Y.O.U.N.G. coordinator who was one of the Y.O.U.N.G. members who took turns teaching the class, said a lot of the attendees are local Y.O.U.N.G. coordinators, new unionists, and unionists that want to learn more about Y.O.U.N.G.
The common questions she receives are “How do I get involved?” and “How do I get involved in Y.O.U.N.G. if I’m not young?”. She always encourages the attendees to approach their NVPs and inquire if there is a District Y.O.U.N.G. coordinator. They can also ask about the local Y.O.U.N.G. If they’re over the age of 40, they should look at the mentor position and help support the “Y.O.U.N.G.” of AFGE.
“I believe that the classes such as the New Unionist Training, Stewards Trainings, and Coordinator Bootcamp are a great base of fundamental knowledge to help our activists understand AFGE as a whole,” said Wensel. “These classes can then help the activists figure out if they want more knowledge in different areas that we help our members, such as Worker’s Comp. and EEO. The Unionist Training helps the activist understand the foundation of AFGE and helps them understand organizing, leadership roles, and Robert’s Rules – a set of rules that helps groups hold orderly meetings. The National Y.O.U.N.G. wants to provide knowledge to new unionists to help aid in their success in AFGE.”
Yadira Suero, Veterans Affairs Local 1667 secretary who attended the New Unionist Training last week, said she learned a lot from this class.
“I learned about social media and how to access different groups of AFGE. What she showed us was actually helpful, like I didn’t know there are many different parts of AFGE – branching off into different committees,” she said.
Michael Angel, a TSA officer and steward from Local 556 in Orlando, said this was his first Human Rights Training since joining TSA in October and becoming an AFGE member earlier this year.
At HRT, he enjoyed networking with people who are facing the same kinds of issues. He also enjoyed learning new things like women issues and workplace bullying.
“Our role is to help people. It’s like being a teacher, a protector. I feel like that’s very important,” he explained.
Recent AFGE News:
Veteran Employee Appreciation Week Brings Together Labor and Management in Detroit, Serves as Model for Nation
September 18, 2023
A week of Veteran Employee Recognition activities is held at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center.
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The Activist: Juan Ibarra, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
September 18, 2023
The seventh episode of AFGE’s new series, The Activist, highlighting our union members who have stepped up to help make a difference in the lives of their colleagues and our government.
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