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Quietly Making a Difference

More so than any Pubic Service Recognition Week I can remember, federal employees are feeling uncertain about what the future holds.

It seems like every week a new attack on their pay, benefits, or jobs emerges from the media and Capitol Hill, casting a dark shadow over their work lives. In this toxic environment anxiety, disillusion, and uncertainty – or some combination of the three – should logically rule the day.

But oddly enough, I have sensed a strong sense of optimism among our members. Although the road has been tough – even to the point where many felt like throwing in the towel – federal workers continue to show up to work every day proud to serve their country, quietly go doing the essential work our nation has come to expect from them.

Despite the pay freeze, retirement cuts, and budget tightening, these dedicated women and men have taken it all in stride, and carried on with their mission. They come to work every day to be stewards of our national parks and forests, to provide care for our veterans, and to find housing for the needy. They come to work every day to make sure terrorists don’t get passports, to ensure that our oceans, waterways, and skies are safe, and to see that our troops go to battle with the best support our nation can provide.

Federal employees come to work every day and make a difference – sometimes in the lives of millions, and sometimes in the life of just one. They are federal employees because there is a job to be done, and they are not just proud, but honored, to do it.

They are not asking for recognition – this week or any other week. All they ask for is the ability to serve their country.

So throughout this Public Service Recognition Week, let us honor the silent sacrifices that our nation’s civil servants make for all of us – every day. It is their selfless contributions that help keep our country great.

William R. Dougan

NFFE Welcomes New General Counsel Stefan Sutich

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

(National Federation of Federal Employees)

This week NFFE welcomes the newest member of the National Office staff, General Counsel Stefan Sutich. He succeeds NFFE’s former General Counsel Susan Grundmann, who is now serving the Obama Administration as Chairman of the Merit Systems Protections Board.

“Stefan is an exceedingly well-qualified and motivated individual,” said NFFE National President William R. Dougan. “I have the highest confidence that he will be a diligent and dedicated servant of the members of the National Federation of Federal Employees in all matters legal, and otherwise.”

Sutich boasts nearly a decade of labor relations experience, representing the interests of federal workers and union members since 2002.

From 2003-2006 he served as a staff attorney at the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, an AFL-CIO affiliated union representing federal employees in the Federal Aviation Administration. In this capacity he served as lead counsel in numerous arbitrations, conducted mid-term negotiations with the FAA, and worked extensively on matters involving the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

From 2006 through late 2009, Sutich worked as an associate in the law firm of Baptiste & Wilder, a firm specializing in the representation of labor unions. There, he worked on a broad array of legal issues impacting working men and women, including representation elections and other disputes under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). He also litigated on behalf of employees and unions in state and federal court.

“I’m excited to be a part of the NFFE team,” said Sutich. “I am looking forward to learning about the work performed by NFFE members and helping you maintain a strong voice in the workplace.”

Stefan is a member of the bars of Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is also a member of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee. He earned his B.A. from the University of Delaware and his law degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He is married and has a 2 year old son.

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