More than 600 federal employees at Yosemite National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park in California have voted by a wide margin to join the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). The new members include park rangers, recreation specialists, firefighters, forestry workers, maintenance staff, facility operation specialists, and others.
The decision follows a strategic organizing initiative between the IAM Organizing Department and NFFE-IAM. According to Jerry McCarty, IAM Assistant Organizing Coordinator, existing master agreements with agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service provide immediate protections for new members. “Federal employees at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks realized the only way to have a voice in this political climate was to form a union. The IAM has all the necessary resources to make it happen for them and other National Parks across the country,” McCarty said.
Art Jackson, IAM Organizing Special Representative, noted concerns about employment security under current federal policies. “Federal workers are facing a changing landscape that the current administration designed to keep them guessing about their employment security,” Jackson said. “These National Park Service workers ensure that Americans can visit and enjoy these beautiful national treasures now and for centuries to come. They now stand tall and proud like the Sequoia trees they protect because they know life and work is better in a union.”
The parks face staffing shortages with hundreds of open positions nationwide. Many roles offer hourly pay ranging from $17.60 to $21.47 for wage grade 5 positions and require work on holidays, weekends, or overtime due to year-round operations.
IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge highlighted recent success in union elections among federal workers: “We are having great success in union elections with federal workers right now because NFFE-IAM and the IAM Organizing Department understand the assignment,” Eldridge said. “The IAM Organizing department has solid experience with Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) elections, and these workers need union representation without delay before some of the Trump administration’s job actions take effect without the workers’ input.”
Jody Bennett, IAM Resident General Vice President, added: ”It just makes sense that they get professional representation from a union like no other, the IAM Union,” Bennett said. “We have a proven record of fighting for federal government civilian workers with NFFE-IAM, and new members choose us because we know the drill and get results.”
Further representation elections are planned nationwide by NFFE-IAM and its organizing partners.
