IFPTE Calls on Congressional Representatives to Sign the Discharge Petition to Uphold Federal Workers’ Collective Rights and Stop the Single Largest Union-Busting Effort in American History
Rep. Golden at podium (l-r behind Golden): NFFE President Erwin, AFGE President Kelley, AFL-CIO President Shuler, Rep. Norcross (NJ), Leader Hakim Jeffries, and IFPTE President Biggs
WASHINGTON, DC – The executive officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) joined with Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-TX) to announce the discharge petition to bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act, H.R. 2550, to a House floor vote.
At this morning’s press conference, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY), the Representatives leading the discharge petition, IFPTE President Matt Biggs, American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley, National Federation of Federal Employees President Randy Erwin, and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, asked Republicans to join with Democratic Members of the House to sign on to the discharge petition to nullify the March 27 Executive Order titled “Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs,” and protect collective bargaining rights of over 1 million federal employees at 18 federal departments and agencies.
President Biggs speaking at the press conference
IFPTE President Matthew Biggs:
“Our union thanks Congressman Golden for championing the bipartisan Protecting America’s Workforce Act, legislation that has procured the bipartisan support of 222 House members, and will overturn President Trump’s destructive, union-busting executive order. We urge all House lawmakers to join both Rep. Golden and Republican cosponsor Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to sign the petition and send a clear message to Speaker Johnson and the Trump Administration that union busting in our federal sector, and in our nation, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by Congress. Federal employee unions add value to the federal agencies and are a force multiplier for effective operations and meeting the agency’s mission. An attack on federal employee union rights is an attack on government working in the interest of the American people.
We also applaud Rep. Norcross for leading an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that stops the union-busting EO for all of DOD. That amendment was adopted this week with Rep. Bacon, Rep. Turner, and Rep. Van Orton joining Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee to add the bipartisan proposal to the NDAA.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson:
”IFPTE calls on Congress to stand for the dedicated federal workers and the work they do by upholding federal collective bargaining rights. Through their unions, IFPTE members in the federal sector solve problems collaboratively with agency managers, improve their workplace and agency operations, and make sure they can succeed in their work as civil servants. The Trump EO doesn’t just trample over union rights that Congress established in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 – it harms our national security, closes the door to finding efficiencies through labor-management partnership, and undermines accountability and transparency in government. For the good of our nation, our American values, and the notion of responsible government, IFPTE is committed to defending the union rights of federal workers.”
IFPTE is a labor union representing upwards of 90,000 workers in the federal, public, and private sectors.
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Watch the press conference here
Read Rep. Golden’s press release