If there’s one thing every NPS employee has in common, it’s the pride we feel in our work.
We chose a path that allows us to work to preserve some of the most beautiful places in the country. We enjoy the challenge, the teamwork, and the rewards that come at the end of a good shift. But today, decisions are being made at our agency without any input from us – the people who do the real work of NPS.
We want to ensure that we can keep everything we love about our jobs and not be forced to relocate or take a position we do not want.
We are concerned about what’s happening to our public lands in an era of intense cost-cutting where the focus is on money-making. Sometimes we are short-staffed or asked to do more with less. We have good ideas that would make things even better, but our words often fall on deaf ears.
We can keep the NPS we know and love by working together, supporting each other and using our combined strength as a community to make our voices heard.
The best way to do that is by organizing a union with the National Treasury Employees Union--NTEU.
NTEU is widely respected as a strong advocate for federal employees, driven by the principle that every federal employee should be treated with dignity and respect. Since its founding in 1938, NTEU has grown to represent 150,000 employees in 37 different federal agencies and departments, including within the National Park Service.
We know there is power in numbers. That is why NPS employees throughout the country are looking to form their own NTEU chapters. They will do that by working with NTEU organizers, talking with coworkers, and conducting educational lunch and learns to provide information and answer questions.
Once enough workers in a specific office sign a 'Form 1187' they can have a secret-ballot election with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (find sample dues here). Once they have elected to have union representation, NTEU negotiators will work with them to determine priorities and bargain the best possible contract with NPS.