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A New Way Forward

There is no question that organized labor in this country is under attack. These attacks have come at the very core of what it means to be a union – our right to collectively bargain. What started in Madison, Wisconsin has spread across this country as state and national politicians seek to vilify labor as the cause of their fiscal woes and make us pay through stripping our rights to bargain on behalf of the working men and women we represent.

This is the landscape we find ourselves in: one in which we must continue to build membership and work for change, or have our rights trampled. The easy path would be for us to become discouraged, hang our heads, and give up. But that is not what we are about, and that is not who we are. That is not our proud history.

At this moment in time, when the very worth and dignity in being an American worker is being called into question, we must continue to build membership and organize the unorganized. Our union’s very survival depends on our ability to grow and mentor future leaders. If we are unable or unwilling to grow, we will soon be out of business.

NFFE’s new Organizing and Recruiting Strategic Plan recognizes NFFE’s need to move from reacting to change to acting on change. To accomplish this will necessitate a fundamental shift in our thinking, requiring us to move from a “servicing model” to an “organizing model.” This is not about emphasizing building membership at the expense of servicing our members; it is about building highly-functioning locals, effective local leaders, and engaged members. It is fundamentally about gaining power for workers.

Building, supporting, and sustaining effective locals and councils is the only way we can be successful at building membership on a continuing basis. Collectively we all have a personal responsibility for the success or failure of our union.

Change will not happen overnight. But we must commit to begin this change if we are to sustain this union. Working together, this is our chance to build something greater than ourselves, and continue NFFE’s proud legacy of working for America every day.

William R. Dougan

Beloved NFFE President Richard N. Brown Passes Away at Age 47

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Randy Erwin, Legislative Director

Phone: (202) 257-0948

"It is with great sadness and regret that I confirm the passing of NFFE’s beloved national president, Richard N. Brown, who was found unresponsive in his apartment in Arlington, VA yesterday afternoon. To all who knew him, Rick was a strong leader, a dedicated trade unionist, and a friend.

As national president of NFFE, Rick steered the organization out of a tumultuous period in the 1990s, and into prosperity. The union saddled with debt when he took office as national president, Rick orchestrated NFFE’s affiliation with the Machinists Union (IAMAW), and reorganized internally to get the organization’s books in the black, setting the course for renewed prosperity. In recent years, NFFE was seeing the fruits of that prosperity. The union’s membership has been on the rise and the organization has been realizing success in the policy arena.

Rick was a trade unionist at heart. He came from a union family and maintained membership in NFFE-IAM and the Laborers Union, the latter being a membership he maintained after leaving construction to become a machinist. Rick was a strong advocate for federal employees. Never one to back down, Rick was a strong presence in the fight against several federal workforce initiatives aimed at contracting out federal government jobs and eliminating federal employees’ unions. His most impressive work was done in opposition to NSPS. Just last week, Rick gave impassioned testimony in opposition to NSPS before the Task Group of the Defense Business Board, a panel that is conducting a review of the personnel system.

On a personal note, Rick was a great friend. He was fiercely loyal and supportive to those around him. He was also tremendously fun to be around, always ready with a joke or an amusing story. In his passing, we have lost a strong voice and champion for working men and women. We will mourn his loss greatly."

-Bill Dougan, National Secretary-Treasurer

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