The second 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.
Rachel Shonfield is president of the AFGE EEOC Council 216 representing EEOC employees nationwide. She works at the EEOC office in Miami and has been an AFGE member for over 25 years.
Rachel joined AFGE because she saw what good work the steward was doing in the office to stand up when management wasn’t listening to the employees and to ensure that everybody was being treated fairly.
“Being an AFGE member has changed my life because I’ve gotten connected to people around the country who have become my family,” she explained. “And when I get to go to conferences, it energizes me that so many people from so many agencies are working to make the federal government a better workplace.”
Founded in 1965, the EEOC is the primary agency that enforces laws that prevent discrimination in the workplace. Without the EEOC workforce doing their work, people could lose their jobs or won’t even get hired in the first place due to discrimination.
Listen to Rachel talk about how her job helps the American people and her local community.
AFGE, Public Citizen, and State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF) filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for violating a law requiring that an advisory committee such as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) be fairly balanced in its membership and points of view.
A new bill has been introduced in the House and Senate to give federal employees a 4.3% raise next year as a way to close the pay gap between the federal and private sectors.