Tatishka Thomas, President of the American Federal Government Employees Local 548 joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed this year’s top legislative priorities for the AFGE - passage of the FAIR Act and statehood for Washington, D.C.
Thomas also serves as the District 5 National Representative for AFGE’s National Veteran’s Affairs.
She acknowledged that due to a significant wage gap between the federal government and the private sector, some federal workers are taking jobs in the private sector, ultimately costing Local 548 members. Thomas explained how the 8.7 percent wage increase called for in the FAIR Act will reward those federal employees who continue to do their jobs.
In addition to wages, the AFGE supports the D.C. Statehood Act, which, as the name suggests, would make the District of Columbia the union’s 51st state. Thomas pointed out that the residents of Washington D.C. pay taxes but have no direct representation in the federal legislature. With Republicans controlling the House of Representatives, it is unlikely this bill will receive a vote during this Congressional term.
Thomas then spoke about the efforts by the VA to cut down on the paperwork needed to onboard new providers. The VA, working with the AFGE, is hoping to shorten these processes so providers can be onboarded quicker.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.