Take Action In March: Meet Face-to-Face with Your Lawmakers During the Spring Recess

Your Representative and Senators will be back home from March 21 - April 1, 2005, for the Spring Congressional Recess. This is a critical time to schedule face-to-face meetings with your lawmakers.   It's critical because Representatives and Senators begin writing and voting on bills starting in April that will affect your pay and benefits, put you at risk of being contracted out, and impact your rights on the job.  So we can't miss this opportunity to lay out our positions on the issues we care about such as restricting funding for reducing EEOC offices and replenishing our staffing levels with permanent, not term or temp employees. 

Stewards are encouraged to try something a little different during the Spring Recess. Invite your Representative and Senators to join you at your workplace to talk with members directly about our concerns. Did you know that EEOC has lost almost 500 employees, who have not been replaced, since Chair Dominguez began her hiring freeze in 2001?  An on-site event in a room packed with members gets a lawmaker's attention.  We can explain exactly how these staffing shortages affect services to their constituents. It sends a strong message that we care deeply about EEOC issues and we're willing to turn up the heat if our concerns are not addressed.

If you feel more comfortable conducting a traditional meeting at the lawmakers office, that's fine.  If you are located in a Federal office building, a Representative’s office might very well be down the hall from you. The point is to meet with Representatives and Senators back home in March before they sign off on EEOC’s FY 06 budget request and start writing legislation that will determine our pay, benefits and job security, possibly for a long time to come. Get more information for issues to raise at such meetings by clicking here for the Council 216 2005 Talking Points Memo. There are also fact sheets available on Federal employee issues at www.afge.org. Please contact Rachel Shonfield, Legislative Coordinator, at legco216@aol.com if you have any questions.