More than 600 federal employees at Yosemite National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park in California have voted to join the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). The workers, including park rangers, recreation specialists, firefighters, forestry workers, maintenance staff, and facility operation specialists, voted nearly unanimously for union representation.
The move is part of a broader 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.
IAM Organizing Special Representative Art Jackson commented on the changing environment for federal workers: “Federal workers are facing a changing landscape that the current administration designed to keep them guessing about their employment security. 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 National Park Service continues to face staffing shortages, with hundreds of open positions. Pay rates for some jobs range from $17.60 per hour to $21.47 for wage grade 5 roles. Many employees are required to work holidays, weekends, and mandatory overtime due to year-round public park operations.
IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge noted ongoing 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. 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.”
IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett emphasized the importance of professional representation: ”It just makes sense that they get professional representation from a union like no other, the IAM Union. 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.”
The IAM Organizing Department and NFFE-IAM plan further representation elections with federal service workers nationwide.
