AFGE Local 1345

09/04/2026

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For mote information click the link below!
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09/03/2026

Big Changes Proposed for Federal Workplace Bias Claims!

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has proposed major updates to how federal employees and job applicants process workplace discrimination complaints.

Here is what you need to know about the proposed overhaul:

No Guaranteed Administrative Hearings: Direct access to an EEOC administrative judge would be eliminated; proceedings will only occur if ordered by the commission based on necessity.

Direct Filing Replacement: Standard counseling is replaced with direct filing within 60 days of an alleged incident.

End to Administrative Class Complaints: Workers would no longer be able to file class-action complaints through the internal agency process (though individual court options remain).

Speeding Up the Timeline: Agency investigations will be capped at 180 days (dropping to 135 days starting in 2028) to address massive backlog delays.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from union leaders. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), voiced strong opposition, arguing that putting initial decisions back onto employing agencies weakens protections against systemic discrimination.

Public comments on the proposal are open through September 28.

Source: The Washington Star

09/02/2026

AFGE Joins Thousands Marching in D.C. to Protect Our Voting Rights!

AFGE members joined with thousands of activists at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington last week to participate in the March on Washington: Defend the Vote.

The Aug. 28 march, hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and the Drum Major Institute led by Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters King, focused on three key areas: defending the vote, defending the civil rights, and fighting for economic justice.

This year’s march marks the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. While the state of our country has progressed since 1963, we still find ourselves fighting for equality, fairness on the job, the right to vote, and for affordability and economic justice in our communities.

The original march led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which prohibits any voting rule or procedure that discriminates on the basis of race, color, or language minority status. But in a 6-3 ruling in April, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively gutted that section of the law.

“Now it's not enough to show that a map shuts Black voters out. Now you have to prove they meant to do it,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley told attendees.

“Brothers and sisters, I grew up under Jim Crow. Nobody ever wrote down their intentions. They just decided some folks go through the front door, and some other folks have to go around back.

“I’ve spent my entire life walking through the front door they told me back in Alabama wasn’t for folks who looked like me. I’m not going back there – and neither are you!”

For more information on the march, visit marchonwashington2026.dotcom

09/01/2026

AFGE-Led Lawsuit Challenges New Performance and Discipline Rules.

TLDR: AFGE led a coalition of unions last week in filing a new lawsuit challenging two rules issued by the Trump administration that overhaul how federal employees are disciplined and how their performance is judged.

Both rules issued by the Office of Personnel Management scrap decades of legal precedent and run counter to the laws that Congress passed to strengthen a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service.

The lawsuit challenges both rules under the Administrative Procedure Act as arbitrary, capricious, contrary to law, and beyond the authority Congress gave OPM. The complaint shows these rules were put together haphazardly and are contrary to the Civil Service Reform Act. OPM told the public it was making no changes to employees’ appeal rights, when it had already proposed months earlier to take those appeals away from the Merit Systems Protection Board and hand them to itself.

The unions are represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP, Jonathan Weissglass, and Democracy Forward.

Read more:

AFGE led a coalition of unions last week in filing a new lawsuit challenging two rules issued by the Trump administration that overhaul how federal employees are disciplined and how their performance is judged.

09/01/2026

We are still here, Union Membership is More Important Than Ever - Join AFGE Today!

The administration has relentlessly attacked federal employees’ jobs, dignity, and the rights to belong to a union. They have slashed essential services provided to the American people and have made it clear that they have no plans on stopping.

The most important way for employees to protect their paychecks and have a voice on the job is through union membership. The only way AFGE can continue to fight for its members and federal workers in the workplace, in the courts, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and in the streets is if we have a strong, mobilized membership.

The Trump administration is just getting started, making good on its promises to dismantle federal agencies while firing and traumatizing the workforce. AFGE has been fighting back and winning in court.

AFGE has accomplished significant wins as the leader in the fight to protect federal employees’ jobs and services. Union membership is more important than ever.

The time to join a union is NOW!

08/28/2026

🌟 Union Vision Program: Dental Plans as Low as $14 Bi-Weekly! 🌟

💸 Affordable Coverage: Plans start at just $14 bi-weekly.
🦷 Low Co-pays: Keep your out-of-pocket costs minimal.
⏳ No Waiting Periods: Immediate coverage (Ortho exception).
✨ Preventative Care at No Extra Cost: No charge for oral exams, bitewing x-rays, or cleanings.
📍 Multiple Plan Options: Find the plan that fits your needs (varies by region).

📞 Scott Ellenwood to learn more about our comprehensive and affordable dental plans designed to keep you and your family smiling! 😁

08/27/2026

A home is the largest purchase most of us will ever make, and every dollar at the closing table counts. What a lot of members don’t realize is that your AFGE membership can put real money back in your pocket at three different points in the process: the mortgage, the agent’s commission, and the legal work.

Members who leverage their AFGE benefits at each part of the process can easily save more than $6,000 – although actual savings will vary based on your loan, sale price, and location.

“When you look at one home sale returning more than $6,000, that’s real money going straight back to the member,” AFGE National Benefits Coordinator Chester Bullard said. “This is just one more example of how AFGE membership more than pays for itself, and many people don’t even know these benefits are sitting there waiting for them.”

Here’s how you can save thousands when buying or selling a home through your AFGE membership.

Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/2az76kdy

08/27/2026

If you didn't know TSP will allow Roth “in-plan conversions,” but converting can create a tax bill if you don’t plan ahead.

You may soon see a new TSP option to move pre-tax (traditional) money into Roth that can increase your taxable income for the year you convert.

Before you act, think about timing, your tax bracket, and whether you need to adjust withholding.

Save screenshots or confirmations of any TSP transactions you make.

A Roth conversion is mainly a tax decision: converting traditional (pre-tax) money usually counts as taxable income in the year of the conversion. The money stays in the plan, but the IRS still treats the conversion as income. Practical steps: read the TSP’s official guidance first, run a simple projection, and avoid large conversions without checking the tax impact. If you’re unsure, consider speaking with a qualified tax professional or fiduciary planner familiar with federal benefits.

08/26/2026

A home is the largest purchase most of us will ever make, and every dollar at the closing table counts. What a lot of members don’t realize is that your AFGE membership can put real money back in your pocket at three different points in the process: the mortgage, the agent’s commission, and the legal work.

Members who leverage their AFGE benefits at each part of the process can easily save more than $6,000 – although actual savings will vary based on your loan, sale price, and location.

“When you look at one home sale returning more than $6,000, that’s real money going straight back to the member,” AFGE National Benefits Coordinator Chester Bullard said. “This is just one more example of how AFGE membership more than pays for itself, and many people don’t even know these benefits are sitting there waiting for them.”

Here’s how you can save thousands when buying or selling a home through your AFGE membership, click the link below!

AFGE members can save thousands when buying or selling a home through their AFGE membership.

08/25/2026

Members, here is the latest AFGE Lawsuit Update:

The Latest on Key Legal Fights!

DoD Contract Terminations:

Summary: On July 2, 2026, more than 20 AFGE locals and councils, along with three affiliates from the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland challenging Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s April 9 memorandum directing DoD components to terminate all collective bargaining agreements within 24 hours, with limited exceptions.

Court action: The unions filed a preliminary injunction July 20 asking the court to halt implementation of Hegseth’s directive and order DoD to rescind any contract termination notices issued as a result. The court granted, in part, the administration’s request to respond to the motion. The administration’s deadline to respond was set for yesterday Aug. 24, 2026.

Current status: Our motion for a preliminary injunction remains pending in court, with a hearing likely to take place this fall. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of DoD civilian employees – many of whom are veterans and members of military families – have been stripped of union rights they have held for decades, with some contracts in place for more than 50 years.

Our rights matter!