Largest federal worker union endorses Joe Biden’s re-election

The largest union for federal government employees feels happy with the current management.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) endorsed President Joe Biden’s re-election. Workers voiced a belief the Democrat had the backs of workers in his administration and other arms of the government.

“During his first term, President Biden has proven himself to be the most labor-friendly president in history,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.

“The results of our endorsement process show that he is the overwhelming choice of AFGE members. It’s not hard to see why. Joe Biden has stood up for the working people who serve our government with honor and distinction all across this country and he helped restore our apolitical civil service after years of vicious attacks.”

Biden this year proposed a 5.2% raise for all federal employees and military members, which would be the highest one-year pay hike since President Jimmy Carter served in 1980, according to trade publication Government Executive.

While the AFGE has pushed for a higher raise proposed by Democratic lawmakers in Congress, leaders said they appreciated Biden’s desire to help federal workers.

“He enacted the largest raise for federal employees in 20 years, rolled back the previous administration’s assaults on government workers’ rights on the job, rescinded an order from his predecessor that would have politicized tens of thousands of civil service jobs and stripped workers of basic protections, provided federal employees with 15 weeks of emergency leave and easier access to worker’s compensation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and established a task force to expand union representation within the federal government and across the country,” Kelley said.

The comments signal little interest on the part of the union to having to negotiate again with former President Donald Trump, the Republican Biden unseated in 2020 who is running again this cycle.

AFGE also supported former U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist’s run for Florida Governor against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. That signals the group also has little interest in DeSantis’ run for the White House either.

That means no Florida man will get the support of the union this year, but the group said federal workers in Florida will be better off for another Biden term.

“President Biden’s administration has been there for AFGE members and for all workers. He isn’t afraid to say he supports labor unions, and we’re not afraid to say we support Joe Biden,” Kelley said.

“Next November, we are going to show up and give President Biden and Vice President (Kamala) Harris another four years to finish the job by building on the tremendous progress they have achieved so far.”