Please allow me to welcome you to HUD. I am the Special Assistant to Council President Russell Varnado of the AFGE Council of HUD Locals, which represents HUD employees in DC and across the nation.

As a Council, we primarily bargain at the national level issues that impact your working conditions. For example, we have recently bargained over the reorganization of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, the establishment of an Office of Affordable Housing Preservation, HOC reassignment of Customer Service Employees, a hardship transfer policy and more. Past negotiations have resulted in flextime, credit hours, telework, and other workplace benefits. We also work with HUD constituents to advocate for HUD programs, and fight wasteful contracting out of federal work.

Please keep in mind that we are a volunteer organization; we elect our leadership from our membership. So it's very important that the best employees become union members and activists. As a bargaining unit employee, you are eligible for membership. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to talk with your Local President. Locals are the key to enforcing the benefits we negotiate at a national level. Without strong and active Locals, the contract is just paper. Also, I encourage you to explore our website. Our new employee power point presentation can answer many of your questions about what the union does at HUD. And our bargaining page includes information on the latest bargaining issues.

Again, welcome to HUD. We care deeply about HUD and its mission. We believe that respect in the workplace results in productive and creative employees. We hope you do, too.

 

Carolyn Federoff
Council 222 Special Assistant