New Video: Border Patrol Agents Benefit from Union Representation
As AFGE members, agents make their voices heard from the front lines to Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Border Patrol agents protect the American public by deterring drug, weapons, and human trafficking into the country. When it comes to protecting agents' safety, they rely on their union representatives from the American Federation of Government Employees.
In a new video being released today, agents discuss the union's vital role in ensuring they receive the benefits, protections and equipment they need to do their jobs.
"I see the union as being the checks and balances, as being the guys that are going to say 'OK, if there's something wrong, let's fix it,' " said Terence Shigg, president of AFGE Local 1613, which represents about 2,300 Border Patrol agents throughout the San Diego Sector.
AFGE's National Border Patrol Council is the exclusive representative for about 17,000 Border Patrol agents and support personnel. AFGE's National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council represents about 7,600 ICE officers, agents and employees.
Law enforcement officers face a particular set of challenges stemming from the dangerous work environment in which they operate. AFGE provides officers with assistance and representation during investigations and administrative hearings.
"The union benefits our members by protecting them in critical incidents, administrative investigations, lobbying on Capitol Hill for better benefits," said Shawn Moran, a Border Patrol agent for the past 17 years who also serves as vice president of the National Border Patrol Council.
The Border Patrol Council currently is in negotiations with the agency over a new collective bargaining contract, which will spell out the terms and conditions of employment. Being part of AFGE gives the council more leverage during the negotiations, Moran said.
"When you engage in collective bargaining, the more members you have, the more authority and the more strength you have when you go to the bargaining table or when you step before Congress," he said. "When you have a small union, you don't carry the same gravitas that a larger union like AFGE has."
The video is the latest installment in the union's "Walking the Line" series, which highlights the often harsh realities faced by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in securing the southern U.S. border.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia, including nearly 17,000 in the Border Patrol.
For the latest AFGE news and information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Video - http://youtu.be/hqIPH6Op2Vg
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131120/MM21150LOGO
SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article