FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2004
February 13, 2004
John Irvine
(202) 639-6405
(202) 639-6405
Two-Out-of-Three DCMA Workers Vote AFGE
(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—Nearly two-thirds of Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) employees nationwide voted for AFGE during a recent election. It’s one of the largest elections for a single unit of workers ever held in the federal sector.
"A clear message has been sent straight from the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce to those attacking the careers and collective bargaining rights of public defense workers. Under the new National Security Personnel System (NSPS), this election would not have counted,” said AFGE National President John Gage.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) counted 2,464 votes for AFGE—more than 61 percent of all votes cast—on February 11, 2004.
Results: AFGE 2,464. National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) 598. National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) 490. 461 for the ‘no union’ option. DoD reorganizations had forced the election among the three unions, with ‘no union’ listed on the ballot automatically.
DCMA is a watchdog agency employing quality assurance specialists, procurement technicians and other federal employees whose work is key to ensuring that federal contractors like Boeing, Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney deliver armaments, weapons systems and other goods and services as promised to our armed forces. Like many federal agencies, DCMA is facing serious downsizing and contracting out initiatives.
Tom Maahs, President of the AFGE Council of DCMA Locals said, "I want to thank DCMA employees for their vote of confidence in AFGE as the largest union for DoD employees and the union most able to respond effectively to the anti-employee, anti-union features of the new ‘National Security Personnel System’ in what is likely to be a difficult period for DoD workers. I also want to thank all the officers, activists and organizing staff who put our positive message of aggressive but responsible representation out to every DCMA worksite."
DCMA's management observers at the vote count appeared impressed with the solid turnout (4,024 votes cast out of 9,175 eligible), especially among the ‘professional’ employees (mostly engineers) who voted 227 to 88 to be included in a single bargaining unit for all DCMA employees, as recommended by AFGE.
"A clear message has been sent straight from the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce to those attacking the careers and collective bargaining rights of public defense workers. Under the new National Security Personnel System (NSPS), this election would not have counted,” said AFGE National President John Gage.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) counted 2,464 votes for AFGE—more than 61 percent of all votes cast—on February 11, 2004.
Results: AFGE 2,464. National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) 598. National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) 490. 461 for the ‘no union’ option. DoD reorganizations had forced the election among the three unions, with ‘no union’ listed on the ballot automatically.
DCMA is a watchdog agency employing quality assurance specialists, procurement technicians and other federal employees whose work is key to ensuring that federal contractors like Boeing, Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney deliver armaments, weapons systems and other goods and services as promised to our armed forces. Like many federal agencies, DCMA is facing serious downsizing and contracting out initiatives.
Tom Maahs, President of the AFGE Council of DCMA Locals said, "I want to thank DCMA employees for their vote of confidence in AFGE as the largest union for DoD employees and the union most able to respond effectively to the anti-employee, anti-union features of the new ‘National Security Personnel System’ in what is likely to be a difficult period for DoD workers. I also want to thank all the officers, activists and organizing staff who put our positive message of aggressive but responsible representation out to every DCMA worksite."
DCMA's management observers at the vote count appeared impressed with the solid turnout (4,024 votes cast out of 9,175 eligible), especially among the ‘professional’ employees (mostly engineers) who voted 227 to 88 to be included in a single bargaining unit for all DCMA employees, as recommended by AFGE.
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