President of Largest Federal Employees Union Names Top Priorities Following Midterm Election

Full-year government funding, end to sequestration, fair wages for government workers top list

WASHINGTON – American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. today issued the following statement:

“First off, I want to thank all of the AFGE members, staff and supporters who rallied to get out the vote during the election. Our activists made tens of thousands of phone calls, knocked on doors from one end of the country to the other, and made their voices heard at the ballot box.

“What happened Tuesday is just the beginning of what we already knew would be a tough two years for government employees, regardless of who took office. The leadership may have changed in Congress, but that doesn’t change our focus. We will work with anyone from any political party who is willing to stand up and support working people, but we will fight when we must to protect the interests of government employees and the programs and services they deliver.

“At the end of the day we’re always going to do what’s best for hardworking government employees, and we’re going to use every resource at our disposal to protect their pay, benefits, and jobs from whatever challenges lay ahead. We are going to redouble our efforts to organize more job sites and recruit more members, so we are even better positioned to fight on their behalf.

“Now that the election is over, the real work begins. We must refocus our energy on building support in the new Congress for the bread-and-butter issues that our members care most about: securing a meaningful pay raise that closes the gap between the federal and private sectors, rejecting further attempts to balance the budget on the backs of government employees, and ending sequestration while preserving the federal programs and services that Americans depend on.

“Most immediately, the outgoing Congress needs to pass a federal budget for the remainder of the 2015 fiscal year that will allow agencies to accomplish their priorities and fulfill their obligations to taxpayers and employees.”

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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia. For the latest AFGE news and information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.