Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-639-6405/202-374-6491
[email protected]
WASHINGTON – Federal employees working for the U.S. Army at two locations in Germany have voted to join the American Federation of Government Employees, part of a continuing effort to expand AFGE’s representation of federal employees working in Europe.
In the first election, information technology employees at the Army Enterprise Service Desk, 2nd Signal Brigade, located at Kaiserslautern, Germany, voted to join AFGE, extending representation under labor statutes to 36 employees in the bargaining unit. In the second election, employees at the U.S. Army’s Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, voted to join AFGE, extending representation to 163 non-appropriated fund (NAF) employees at the resort who serve in various hospitality jobs.
Both elections were tallied today, May 1.
“As many workers across the globe celebrate International Workers’ Day today, AFGE is proud to welcome these federal employees working overseas to our union family,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “By joining AFGE, these employees are affiliating with the fastest growing large labor union in America and improving our ability to fight for them and all our members.”
The new groups of employees will be part of AFGE Local 14, which was established under AFGE District 14 last year to expand representation to thousands of federal employees working for U.S. agencies overseas who currently lack a collective voice at work. In December, nearly 400 NAF employees at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Exchange in Germany joined AFGE in the first election held since the new organizing push began. Local 14 is supported by District 14’s Europe Office, based in Germany, which is staffed by a legal rights attorney.
“We are excited to have so many employees eager to join our union’s fight to support the dedicated federal workers who keep our government running,” AFGE District 14 National Vice President Ottis Johnson Jr. said. “Employees everywhere deserve to have a voice in their working conditions, and with today’s votes these employees are joining the growing movement of organizing workers across the federal and private sectors.”
AFGE District 14 reminds all federal employees that federal law protects the right to form unions at federal workplaces, and federal agencies should not be intervening in such efforts.
Federal employees stationed in Europe who are not already represented by an AFGE local are encouraged to contact District 14 to get an election going at their worksite. Employees can learn more and join today by visiting www.afge.org/Europe. For specific questions or concerns, federal employees in Europe can call the legal rights attorney based in Germany at +49 151 4427 8841.
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