JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Well Happy Labor Day, Team Charleston! This holiday is many things to many people: the unofficial end of Summer, a quick break after starting the school year or the opening weekend for the start of the college and professional football season (go Dawgs!). For a great many of us it is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the American Worker which built this great nation.
I have spent the majority of my career in a field that was a very diverse mix of both officers and enlisted members, as well as civilian professional engineers and craftsmen. In the stateside units I served in, the craftsmen were members of the local Federal Employees union, which is also known as a Bargaining Unit. These bargaining unit employees represented our most skilled, experienced craftsmen and were the bedrock of each of the shops in the unit. They trained our newest Airmen out of tech school on how to fix and maintain the local infrastructure; they served as on-call experts for the toughest problems that occurred on nights and weekends; and they worked incredibly long hours so that our military members could deploy, train and enjoy their leave. In short, they were critical to the mission and without their dedication or sense of patriotism we would never execute our deployment missions.
Here on the Air Force Base side of Joint Base Charleston, our Bargaining Unit Employees all belong to Local 1869 of the American Federal Government Employees union. This unit is led by the local Union President Curtis Flood with bargaining unit employees in just about every squadron throughout the installation. Overall, AFGE 1869 is more than 770 members strong and an integral part of the total Joint Base Charleston mission. In addition, they represent everyone that is a civilian GS, Non Appropriated Fund, Commissary and/or AAFES employees
As we prepare to enjoy a long weekend, I would like to take the opportunity to thank a few of our Joint Base Charleston teammates who are executing their responsibilities in the finest tradition of the American Worker this holiday season. They come from diverse backgrounds, specialties and experience levels, but they all represent our hardest working Americans.
First the Union Steward from the Force Support Squadron, Mr. Clayton Seufert. Mr. Seufert is a retired enlisted member and a longtime member of the Air Force Sergeant's Association. As a union steward he works closely with BU members and management to ensure all members have a safe, fair and equitable work environment. In addition, he provides oversight of all the information technology systems within the FSS enabling mission execution.
Next, from the Civil Engineer Squadron and their Naval Weapons Station counterpart, the Public Works Department, Mr. Mike Brifnek and Mr.Robert Ray. Mr. Brifnek is an Electronic Industrial Controls Mechanic in the 628 CES and Mr. Ray works for the Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division in the NWS Public Works Department. Both were instrumental in starting the engineers' smooth transition into Joint Base Charleston by initiating the first union to union discussion, essential to opening the lines of communication.
From the 628th Medical Group, their Union Steward, Ms. Paulette Burden. Ms. Burden was active in negotiating the Medical Appointment Clerk Standards for seven appointment clerks so that the Medical Group could continue to provide excellent customer service for our military community. She provided much needed comfort and guidance to 12 affected bargaining unit employees when their job position was eliminated, which led to them being placed in other compatible positions. Finally, she worked issues between management and employees at the lowest level possible to ensure that problems employees and managers faced were solved before they became larger and negatively impacted the workplace.
From the 437th Maintenance Group, we recognize Mr. Joe Walker, Union Steward assigned to Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, who was instrumental in negotiations to alleviate potential problems/delays as we stood up Joint Base Charleston. He proactively ensured that this was a smooth transition between 437th AW, 628th ABW and NWS CHS. His extensive knowledge of labor union rules and regulations helped tremendously as we forged new frontiers between the services.
From the Security Forces Squadron, we salute Officer Jennifer Hartley. Officer Hartley is the only Air Provost who achieved a dual certification as both an Installation Patrolman and a Desk Sergeant. She has been an active participant in squadron functions to include being a key spouse and a lead planner in many social events. Her efforts led to her selection as the 628 ABW Civilian Category 1 of the Quarter.
From the Communications Squadron, we recognize Ms. Lawanda Williams. Her professionalism and dedication to duty is nothing short of incredible. As the squadron resource advisor she flawlessly managed a $4.62 million budget, supporting Joint Base Charleston's communications systems planning, operations and maintenance. She was pivotal in acquiring and managing $2 million required to extend network connectivity to the Naval Weapon Station. It was only through her tenacity and no-fail commitment that the Communications Squadron was able to put connectivity in place three months ahead of schedule.
Finally, I would like to highlight Mr. Curtis Flood and his staff for their professionalism and spirit of cooperation as we collectively work to support Joint Base Charleston. With a spirit of cooperation and understanding we have worked to resolve many issues to enable the mission and ensure a safe, fair and equitable work environment for all teammates here at Joint Base Charleston. They and all of AFGE 1869 are truly representative of the great American Worker that we recognize and honor this and every Labor Day.