More than 600 federal employees at Yosemite National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park in California have voted to join the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). The staff, which includes park rangers, recreation specialists, firefighters, forestry workers, maintenance personnel, and facility operation specialists, voted almost unanimously to become members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
This move is part of a broader organizing effort by the IAM Organizing Department and NFFE-IAM. Jerry McCarty, IAM Assistant Organizing Coordinator, explained that existing master agreements between NFFE-IAM and agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service will provide immediate protections for these new members.
“Federal employees at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks realized the only way to have a voice in this political climate was to form a union. The IAM has all the necessary resources to make it happen for them and other National Parks across the country,” McCarty said.
IAM Organizing Special Representative Art Jackson commented on the environment facing federal workers: “Federal workers are facing a changing landscape that the current administration designed to keep them guessing about their employment security. These National Park Service workers ensure that Americans can visit and enjoy these beautiful national treasures now and for centuries to come. They now stand tall and proud like the Sequoia trees they protect because they know life and work is better in a union.”
The National Park Service currently has hundreds of unfilled positions. Hourly pay rates for wage grade 5 positions range from $17.60 to $21.47 per hour. Many roles require staff to work holidays, weekends, and mandatory overtime due to year-round operational needs.
IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge noted ongoing success with federal worker union elections: “We are having great success in union elections with federal workers right now because NFFE-IAM and the IAM Organizing Department understand the assignment. The IAM Organizing department has solid experience with Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) elections, and these workers need union representation without delay before some of the Trump administration’s job actions take effect without the workers’ input.”
IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett highlighted why federal employees are choosing IAM representation: ”It just makes sense that they get professional representation from a union like no other, the IAM Union. We have a proven record of fighting for federal government civilian workers with NFFE-IAM, and new members choose us because we know the drill and get results.”
The IAM Organizing Department and NFFE-IAM have additional representation elections scheduled for federal service workers across the country.
