Our First 100 Days: Improved Member Services
1.
Every vacant officer position will be filled:
- Stewards: some modes have empty steward slots which significantly impacts the availability of union services, our ability to research and investigate employee concerns, and the burden on other union officers. Finding and training qualified and dedicated stewards will be an immediate priority in our first 100 days.
- Women and Fair Practices Coordinator: the Women and Fair Practices Coordinator focuses on issues related to gender disparity, racial discrimination, and equal opportunity grievances. She also serves as the Local point of contact for the District 14 National Fair Practices and Affirmative Action Coordinator and the National Women's Advisory Coordinator. Employee Viewpoint Survey results have shown that there is a lot of work to be done to address gender, race, and equal opportunity issues throughout the Department of Transportation. We will recruit a Women and Fair Practices Coordinator immediately to drive the Local's efforts in addressing these ongoing problems.
- Y.O.U.N.G. Coordinator: the Y.O.U.N.G. Coordinator is focused on engaging young professionals and promoting their interests within the Local and AFGE at large. The average age of Union members has been increasing for some time and this is an initiative begun by AFGE National in order to find ways to serve better the Federal workers under 40. At this point, there has never been an official appointment to this position in our Local. That will change within the first 100 days of our administration.
2.
Re-vamped Website:
- Updated Calendar: All Local events will be tracked on our online calendar. We will also include District 14 events and other events in the DC area that will be of interest to bargaining unit members.
- Monthly Membership Meeting Agenda/Minutes and E-Board Meeting Agenda/Minutes Posted: Not only will we have regular membership meetings, we will post all the agendas for those meetings online in advance and the minutes of prior meetings. You will always know what is going on. This way you can track our efforts and find ways to get involved, add your suggestions, or voice your dissent.
- Frequently Asked Questions and Information Database: One stop shopping for information on common employee issues, policy documents, collective bargaining agreements, and other important documents.
- Online Grievance In-Take: Can't find your modal VP or steward and you want to let us know you need assistance? No problem. Just click on this feature and you can get started. The form you fill out will immediately be forwarded to the right people and we will be in touch as soon as possible. This option does not exist yet but it should and it will within the first 100 days of our tenure.
- Steward Tool-box: The average bargaining unit employee will not ever use this feature but it will help us provide more immediate and effective assistance. In addition to common grievance templates, it will include past research, policy citations, case law, points of contact for questions, and any other thing the stewards ask us for. Again, this does not exist yet but we will get one started right away after our oath of office.
- Volunteer Opportunities: We will have a link on our website for volunteer opportunities, including Local initiatives/projects, community outreach, lobbying, event planning, recruitment, and opportunities to travel to AFGE events.
3.
Regular Membership Meetings, Lunch and Learns, and Informational Emails
