International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE)

05/24/2026

IFPTE Local 29 leaders and members were on Capitol Hill this week to meet with Congressional offices and discuss the need for Congress to support NASA’s talent pipeline, advance policies that enable long term talent retention, and make sure federal hiring practices are not wasting the resources, time, and commitment that agencies and early career employees have invested.

GESTA/IFPTE Local 29 leaders and members were on Capitol Hill this week to meet with Congressional offices and discuss the need for Congress to support NASA’s talent pipeline.

05/24/2026

Last week, the Society of United Professionals (SUP/IFPTE Local 160) attended Electricity Human Resources Canada’s Agents of Change 2026 in Montreal, joining industry leaders and changemakers for two days of meaningful connection and dialogue.

The Society of United Professionals (SUP/IFPTE Local 160) attended Electricity Human Resources Canada’s Agents of Change 2026 in Montreal, joining industry leaders and changemakers for two days of meaningful connection and dialogue.

05/24/2026

International staff, Candace Rhett, and Society of United Professionals (SUP/IFPTE Local 160) Board Member and past Chair of the SUP Racialized Professionals Committee, Leon Simeon, along with SUP/Local 160 members, Johanne Konan and Lilia Shillingford, represented IFPTE this week in Atlanta at the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) 55th International Convention. More than 1100 people attended the convention themed, “Cherish Our Legacy & Bend to No One.”

IFPTE and SUP/IFPTE Local 160 represented IFPTE this week in Atlanta at the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) 55th International Convention.

05/24/2026

Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson was a featured panelist this week at a summit hosted by Apprenticeships for America (AFA). The event, which was held in Washington, DC, featured a panel organized by the AFL-CIO's Working for America Institute entitled, “Stronger Together: How unions and employers' power successful apprenticeships!”

Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson was a featured panelist this week at a summit hosted by Apprenticeships for America (AFA).

05/24/2026

Led by Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, IFPTE made history last Friday by finalizing a first of its kind STEM apprenticeship program. The program is entitled ENVEST Jobs– Empowerment Network for Engineering, Science and Technology Jobs, and will help to fund worker training programs to meet IT, cyber-security, and other needs of employers like TVA and others.

Led by Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, IFPTE made history last Friday by finalizing a first of its kind STEM apprenticeship program.

05/22/2026

As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, we stand on the threshold of a sacred time of remembrance. For many, this weekend is a time for family, barbecues, and a welcome break from the workweek. But for the labor movement and the veteran community, it demands that we pause to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

As a proud U.S. Army veteran, I know that behind every name carved into a monument or marked by a flag in a cemetery is a story of profound love for country and community.

But our duty to the fallen does not end when the weekend concludes. The most powerful way we can honor those who died protecting our democracy is by fiercely protecting the working-class people they left behind. So many of our fallen heroes came from working-class families—from our union halls, our construction sites, our utility plants, and our public services. They put their lives on the line for a promise that their sacrifice would ensure a better, freer world for their families.

True remembrance requires action. As we go into this weekend, the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, recommits to fighting for the living—for the gold star families, the working veterans, and the civilian workers who carry the legacy of service every single day.

We honor the dead by fighting like hell for the living, ensuring that the dignity, freedoms, and labor rights they died to defend are protected right here at home.

Have a safe, meaningful, and reflective Memorial Day weekend. Solidarity forever.

— Craig Romanovich

Executive Director, Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO

05/21/2026

"Critics say employers spend money hiring union-avoidance consultants and lawyers while not investing in workers"

Critics say employers spend money hiring union-avoidance consultants and lawyers while not investing in workers

05/21/2026

🚨 ALERT: Stop the Hidden Tax on Veteran Homeowners! 🚨

Right now, Congress is moving a bill to the House floor called H.R. 6047. While the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO 100% supports the long-overdue $10,000 raise it gives to our most catastrophically injured heroes and Gold Star families, we are STRONGLY OPPOSING the backroom accounting politicians are using to pay for it.
Instead of funding this out of the federal budget, the current floor version plan nearly TRIPLES the fee on veteran homeowners trying to lower their monthly mortgage payments through a VA refinance (IRRRL)—skyrocketing the cost from 0.5% to 1.42%.

For working-class veteran families fighting to stay in their homes in a brutal housing market, this "hidden tax" adds thousands of dollars in upfront costs, wiping out an entire year’s worth of mortgage savings.

We cannot treat veteran benefits as a zero-sum game. Caring for our wounded heroes is a national obligation that belongs in general appropriations—not a debt to be recycled within our own community by "balance-billing" other veterans.

⚠️ CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY: Tell them you support our wounded warriors and survivors, but they must vote NO on H.R. 6047 until the predatory home loan fee hikes are stripped out.

📞 House Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
💬 Your Message: "I am a constituent and a veteran. Tell the Representative to pass a CLEAN H.R. 6047. Do not balance the budget by tripling VA refinance fees on veteran homeowners."
💻 Find your Rep: www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

05/21/2026

05/15/2026

It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of retired Local 259 President, Melvin Tate, who passed away on March 26th. Brother Tate was a longtime IFPTE member and officer of Local 259, including serving as Local 259 President.

It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of retired Local 259 President, Melvin Tate, who passed away on March 26.