Start by downloading your 1187 here:
- Make sure to do all union related activities on your personal computer, equipment and time.
- Fill out the highlighted blocks and use only LAST 4 digits of your social security number.
- Avoid any stay marks or mistakes, which may invalidate the form. Feel free to contact us with any questions about the form.
You can submit your form in one of three ways:
- Mail to: National Federation of Federal Employees 1225 New York Ave. NW Suite 450, Washington, DC 20005
- Fax to 202-898-1861
- Scan and email to newmember@nffe.org
*Note that at this stage this form is being used to gauge interest in unionizing, NOT to deduct dues. Once we are unionized however, the form will authorize dues deduction from your paycheck. Dues for 2019 are less than $28 per pay period.
The process goes like this:
- We are working to sign up non-supervisory employees in Animal Care. We need 50% to fill out and send in their 1187 forms in order to gauge if there is sufficient interest to proceed further. NFFE-IAM will not share these forms with management or anyone else for that matter at this stage.
- If we meet the 50% threshold, NFFE-IAM will forward the forms to the Federal Labor Relations Agency (FLRA). The FLRA will not share the forms, but will contact AC HR for a list of union eligible employees. If 30% of the HR list has submitted 1187s, we will be able to hold an election. The FLRA will determine if this is done online using your personal computer, equipment and time or by secret ballots mailed to your home. You complete the ballot and send it to the FLRA.
- A majority vote (50% plus one of all votes submitted) will get AC unionized!
- Note that once unionized, contract negotiations begin, and this can take some time. But, we have union protections once our Agency joins! For example, as long as our agency has a policy against workplace bullying, retaliation, or prohibited hiring practices, we can address a hostile work environment, retaliatory behavior, and unfair hiring practices.
All of you know that the agency environment has been changing and that waiting for it to get better is not feasible. Over the past two years, it’s actually been getting worse. In the last few months, we have had many vacancies that remain unfulfilled. That puts undue pressure on everyone. We, and our animals, suffer. It’s time for a proactive approach in order to protect ourselves and our mission.