American Federation of Government Employees

Berniece Heffner was the first national Secretary and Treasurer of the AFGE Movement.

Henrietta Olding, pictured here in 1917, was an early vice president of District 2. She was a labor rights and women's rights activist within the movement.

AFGE was founded on October 17, 1932, by local unions loyal to the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and left the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) when that union became independent of the AFL (NFFE in 1998 became part of the IAMAW, which is affiliated with the AFL–CIO).

AFGE is a federation of local unions, with each local maintaining autonomy through operating under local constitutions that comply with the AFGE National constitution ratified originally during its founding in 1932.

Federal employees' right to organize and bargain binding labor contracts was established in law by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which AFGE helped to draft, and which states that collective bargaining in the federal sector is in the public interest while also barring the right to strike.

AFGE has played a crucial role in the struggle for women's rights and civil rights in the federal sector, and was one of the first unions to establish a Women's Department and a Fair Practices Department, with the officer over those departments holding a seat on the National Executive Committee (NEC) and with Women's and Fair Practices Coordinators elected in each AFGE district since the early 1970s.

AFGE's December 2009 court suits stopped aspects of the George W. Bush Administration's "National Security Personnel System" (for DOD) and MAXHR (for DHS), and AFGE also won changes to law that make the contracting out process more balanced in regard to federal employees' interests. In 2010, the Obama Administration issued an Executive Order for the Federal Government to focus on insourcing Federal jobs rather than outsourcing them overseas or to contractors.

AFGE's motto was established as "To Do For All That Which No One Can Do For Oneself".

AFGE's original emblem was a shield with the stars and stripes and the words "Justice, Fraternity, Progress" and the current emblem is three workers supporting a globe with a map of the United States and the words "Proud to Make America Work".

In June 2011, AFGE also won the historic largest single nationwide consolidated bargaining unit election of over 44,000 employees of the Transportation Security Administration, part of the Department of Homeland Security. AFGE is working for a change in law which will give them the same collective bargaining rights as other federal employees.

In August 2015, AFGE at its national convention decided its official colors are blue and gold. All future insignia will meet as such.

AFGE is led by a National Executive Council, made up of National President Everett Kelley, a National Secretary-Treasurer, and National Vice President, Women's and Fair Practices, elected at a triennial National Convention, and 12 National Vice Presidents who oversee geographic districts and are elected at District caucuses.

Numbered "Councils of Locals"

AFGE members hold a silent protest to demand that Congress avoid another government shutdown, 2019.

For AFGE, collective bargaining responsibilities are delegated to numbered "Councils of Locals" at major agencies, including the following:

• AFGE DEFCON[3]
• AFGE Federal Fire Fighter Steering Committee[4]
• AFGE Federal Law Enforcement Council[5]
• Federal Protective Service Council
• The Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA) Council.
• National Border Patrol Council[6]

AFGE rally against Department of Veterans Affair budget cuts, 2012.

• National Council of Prisons Locals (C-33)[7]
• National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals (C-45)[8]
• Veteran's Administration Council. a.k.a. National Council of VA Locals (C-53)[9] The VA Council is the largest and currently accounts for over one third of the federation's membership. Alma L. Lee is the current president of the VA council.
• AFGE Council 73[10]
• Transportation Security Administration a.k.a. AFGE TSA Council 100[11]
• ICE Council. a.k.a. AFGE Council 118 (ICE)[12]
• CIS Council (119)[13]
• Coast Guard Council. (120)[14]
• AFGE Council 162[15]
• Defense Contract Management Agency (C-170)[16]
• DFAS Council of DFAS Locals (C-171)[17]
• AFGE Council 172[18]
• AFGE Council 200[19]
• Midwest Council of Food Inspection Locals (C-202)[20]
• the Air Force Materiel Command a.k.a. Air Force Materiel Command Locals (C-214)[21]
• National Council of EEOC Locals 216[22]
• National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals (C-220)[23]
  • National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals (Atlanta Region) (C-220)[24]
• HUD Council. a.k.a. National Council of HUD Locals (C-222)[25]
• AFGE Council 224[26]
• AFGE Council 235[27]
• EPA Locals (C-238)[28]
• AFGE Council 252[29]
• Council of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Locals (C-260)[30]
• Smithsonian Institution, Local 2463.[31]

American Federation of Government Employees ball cap from the 1980s.

All union membership in the federal sector is entirely voluntary, as the law does not allow for the "closed shop"; federal employees are barred from being candidates for partisan political office, and no dues money may be spent on partisan political campaigns.

• Barbara Hutchinson, former director of women's department
• United Public Workers of America
• National Federation of Federal Employees

• American Federation of Government Employees
• AFGE National VA Council