Every year, the President of the United States addresses the House and Senate in a joint session of Congress to discuss the state of our nation and plans for the future. Each member of Congress is allowed to bring a guest.
This year the state of the union address will be held on March 7, and AFGE Local 96 member April Williams will be attending as a guest of Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois, who also spoke at the AFGE rally calling for full funding of our government earlier this month. In bringing April with her, the congresswoman wanted the issues important to federal workers to be front and center for all of Congress to see.
April works as a nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in St. Louis, MO. Besides being a member of Local 96, she’s also the local’s legislative and political coordinator and is active in her local community.
We caught up with April during our legislative conference and asked her about her union activism and the upcoming SOTU.
How long have you been working with Rep. Budzinski and on what issues?
Why have you been invited as a guest for the State of the Union address?
How do you feel about being invited to SOTU?
Efforts to overturn President Trump’s pay freeze and provide all federal employees with a cost-of-living increase next year are building steam on Capitol Hill ahead of crucial budget negotiations set to resume after the midterm elections in November.
Read More
AFGE and other unions who challenged the Trump administration’s illegal mass firing of federal workers during the 2025 government shutdown have reached a settlement agreement in the case that formally ends the termination effort.
Read More
AFGE is urging lawmakers to support new bipartisan legislation that is needed to address persistent shortages of federal workers who are critical to ensuring the safety of our nation’s railroads.
Read More
