The Birth of the Lodge 1951-1955

The first meeting of AFGE Lodge 1336 was held on Tuesday, March 23, 1951 in room 302, Fidelity Building at 911 Walnut. Robert Mayme was given the oath of office as the First President, and the members all gave an oath of allegiance. A draft constitution was read for approval and officers were elected to serve one year.

Dues were only $1 per month. Meetings were held on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. Tuesdays were selected as meeting days because many members at­ tended school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, and we still meet on Tuesday nights to this day.

Managers were active members and even held officer positions in the new Lodge. Some notable members of the first year included R. W. "Jake" Jacobsen, eventually to retire in 1973 as Director of Operations, and Doro­ thy Carson, an early Lodge officer. (More on Ms. Carson later.)

Committees

There were four committees established: Ways and Means, Dues Col­ lection, Publicity and Membership. A Grievance Committee was discussed but decided against because, according to meeting minutes, "all internal relationships and morale were very good."

Legislative Focus

The Lodge was organized with the primary intent to achieve "strength in numbers" to oppose the following Congressional proposals:

• Cutback in annual leave benefits;
• Civil Service Retirement being absorbed by Social Security;
• Staffing cuts that would replace only one out of every four employees lost.

Meetings were frequently devoted to speeches by AFGE National Representatives concerning pending federal legislative moves. Delegates were sent to rallies in Washington and Council and District Meetings of AFGE, and members were encouraged to write to their Congressmen and attend Postal Service pay rallies held frequently in the Kansas City area.

But there was always some time devoted to recreational activities such as dinners, dances or just some refreshments at a get-together after the meeting. Installation of newly elected officers almost always included a dinner, as it still does today.

The Formative Years: 1956-1960

A growing concern with the "production-quota system" caused the Lodge to shift its focus in the next few years from exclusive concern for events in Washington to problems at the worksite. In late 1956, a Grievance Com­ mittee was finally formed, primarily due to this system, which the fol­ lowing resolution illustrates:

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION HAS BEEN UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY A.FG.E. LODGE NO. 1336 AT A SPECIAL MEETING HELD JULY 17, 1956:

Whereas the conditions found in the Internal Revenue Service and which caused Commissioner Harrington to abolish the so-called production-quota system in that Agency have been found to exist in similar form in other agencies, and whereas these conditions lead to an over-emphasis on sheer quantity of work performance at the ex­ pense of the over-all quality of the work, resulting in great loss to the government, as well as the harassment, loss of morale, and dissatis­ faction of good and faithful govermental employees, and whereas these evils have resulted in a high turn-over in personnel to the detriment of the government's business, be it hereby resolved that this Ameri­ can Federation of Government Employees go on record as opposed to the production-quota system, and to request, authorize, and direct the President of the American Federation of Government Employees to investigate, prepare appropriate reports, and take any necessary and possible remedial action where these conditions have been found to exist.

The Lodge Constitution was amended in 1956 to include the Regional Office, and the Kansas and Missouri District Offices. A quorum for meet­ ings was changed from 15% of the membership, which was too difficult to keep track of, to the number 12 ... another rule that continues today at our monthly meetings.

To illustrate the times, Lodge President Carl Goss attended a pay rally in Washington , D.C. in 1957, at the total expense to the Lodge of only $200, plane fare and all. The net result of this rally was a whopping 11% pay raise signed that year by Ike. If it were only so easily done today! But, we should also give credit to the membership's efforts at letter writing cam­ paigns and the whole economic climate of the day.

The Area Office, as the Payment Center was then called, consisted of various Units, including Files, Steno, Claims Adjudication, and Disburse­ ment and Adjustment (now known as Benefit Authorizers).

Arthur B. Johnson, our current President, was admitted as a member at the 100th meeting of the Lodge on July 7, 1959. Claims Authorizers had filed a lawsuit regarding their reclassification and a legal fund had been established for the expenses. The extra workloads created by the 1960 Amendments were among their chief complaints.

As an incentive to join, Hospital and Accident Insurance was available to Lodge members. Funds were always given to various charities, such as the Polio Foundation and the fight against tuberculosis, which had af­ fected so many people then. Our goal was always to be more powerful, such as our sister lodges in the Postal Service were becoming.

The promotion system was a big concern in 1960, as vacancies were not always posted well enough in advance, and it was difficult for any em­ ployee to determine why they were not selected. These early concerns eventually led to the Merit Protection System we know today. But it was a long hard struggle.

When Roger Riemath became President in 1960, the big issue in Con­ gress was the proposal to "overhaul" the Civil Service Commission. Op­ tional Social Security Coverage was also being considered for federal work­ ers. But the real challenge facing Federal Employee Unions was the official recognition of Unions by Federal Sector Management.

The Wonder Years: 1961-1965

President John R Kennedy signed Executive Order 10988 on January 17, 1962, establishing the very first government-wide policy on federal labor- management relations, giving federal workers unions legitimacy for the first time and an atmosphere for growth. And grow we did.

Our Agency granted us "formal recognition" in 1962 after the order was signed, which gave us the right to consult with management but no bar­ gaining rights. We still needed "exclusive recognition" for that, and it would require petitions from 30% of the employees, plus either an election with a 50% plus one favorable vote or a total membership of 50% plus one of all the employees.

In 1962 President Riemath made progress on revising the error/produc­ tion system and the performance standards for claims trainees. He also started a Newsletter, with Herb Passman responsible, for circulation to all employees.

Exclusive Recognition—A Fragile Victory

We obtained our first exclusive recognition rights in 1963 by obtaining 366 employee petitions in January and by election in March. Lodge Presi­ dent Dorothy Shepherd and Director B. J. Wilson signed it.

Later that year we obtained the right to take official time to handle grievances, and the right to have dues deducted from paychecks, or dues checkoff as it is called. Our first contract was negotiated in May, 1963. A negotiating committee was formed to negotiate Supplemental Agree­ ments thereafter.

Dorothy Shepherd was given a maximum limit of 20% for official time for Union duties. But, she resigned in 1964 and James McArn became act­ ing President until Sarah Meehan was elected.

Exclusive Recognition Lost

A dark period followed. Due to internal strife, and then an election, the Lodge lost its exclusive recognition in 1964, which was not regained until 1968. The Agency began working people overtime for Hib/Smib and other changes to the law in 1966, and the hated TA reviews, sometimes lasting for weeks at a time, continued.

Our current President, Art Johnson, was elected to this office in Decem­ ber of 1964. Other Lodge officers were included in each unit and the dis­ trict offices. They were faced with the challenge of changing working con­ ditions which were considerably less than ideal.

If you left your work unit for any reason you had to have a "hall pass." You were required to code all activities during your eight-hour workday, including time spent in the Union Office or even th restroom! Every time you left you needed to get the pass from your supervisor, or you had bet­ ter not come back!

But with the move to the "New" Federal Office Building in November of 1965, the hated pass finally was abolished.

The Coming of Age: 1966-1970

These were exciting years for the Lodge, as a massive membership drive was conducted, and the goal of once again attaining exclusive recognition. Rather than be voted out again, the recognition was attained through 50% plus one MEMBERS. The magic number was reached in late 1968, when 84 new members were signed in November and 150 in December, with over 1100 members total. Finally, on December 17, 1968, Art Johnson and Joseph White signed the document, and it was official. We have never lost it since.

Also in 1968, we filed our first Unfair Labor Practice charge against Agency management, the first of many to follow. Art Johnson had been promoted to Reconsideration Reviewer in 1967. He recalls this period as a time when many managers ruled by fear and intimidation. When deroga­ tory remarks were made by high-level managers regarding Art's promo­ tion, our first ULP was born.

The Authority ruled that they had acted out of anti-union animus, and the managers at fault were made to retract and cease such remarks in the future. Chief offender was Claims Branch Chief John Mays, who had earlier that year received a Commissioner's Citation. He was subsequently re­ moved from the Promotion Committee, formerly composed only of branch chiefs, and reprimanded formally. The promotion committee was perma­ nently changed to include managers from all levels, with the persons chang­ ing with each vacancy, to eliminate any on-going bias in promotions, a practice which continues today. And Mr. Mays became the first person to get a reprimand and a citation all in the same year.

Also a direct result of all this was that we began to print and mail the Newsletter at the Lodge's cost, instead of relying on GSA to provide the printing, and having to deal with the censorship of the Agency as well.

The Executive Committee of Officers of the Lodge began meeting monthly, and we began to have our meetings right after work, which we still do today.

In 1969 President Nixon signed Excutive Order 11-491, defining the bar­ gaining unit as we know it today. Managers and certain Regional Office employees were removed from dues check-off and could no longer be represented. We lost some good members, but we gained more legal clout with the establishment of the first Federal Labor Relations Council to govern federal collective bargaining.

Our first component-wide bargaining councils were formed. The first was the National Council of SSA Payment Center Locals, formed in 1968. (The name was changed from Lodge to Local in 1968 at the AFGE Na­ tional Convention.) Art was a Founding President, and was nstrumental in its formation. The first organizational meeting was held here in Kansas City at the Continental Hotel.

Other national component councils followed, including the National Council of SSA Field Office Locals, OPIR (called FAO then), and OHA, all of which are represented by Local 1336 still. (See organizing and growth table in back.)

Also in 1969, the Local office was moved to the 1lth floor of the Federal Building , and Art became a full-time officer.

The workplace changed in the late 1960's. The dress code was finally relaxed to allow women to wear pants, which were formerly considered "play clothes" by management, and men could shed their ties.

Remembrances

We interviewed retiree Norma Gough about this period and she said: "Working conditions were hard. We worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week when Hib/Smib came in. Employees were told they could have Veteran's Day off (a legal holiday) but they could not take Christmas leave if they were off on Veteran's Day, and vice versa. I complained to Art, and he approached Ray Billings, and they changed their policy. I got both holi­ days off and I joined the Union ."

Norma still laughs about the first meeting she attended. New President Art presided. A salesman came and made a pitch for pre-need burial plans. It was a real good plan, but he had brought pictures of the caskets and the dear departed, and she thought she would never go to another meet­ ing! But she did, and she never regrets the years she served as Steward, Head Steward and Chief Steward, following the lead set by Reginald Huey before her. She relates many difficult cases were won by innovation and hard work, and recalls even bringing the Reverend Emanual Cleaver to the stand to testify on behalf of an employee in arbitration.

The Lean Years Begin: 1970-1975

Oil embargoes, gas lines, and the realities of a recession hit us all. The government began its first real budget-cutting and contracting out soon followed. John Griner, National President of AFGE, attended the Ninth District AFGE banquet at the Muehlebach Hotel in 1971, when the Local hosted an extensive training seminar, which was well attended by reps from the four-state district.

Our first annual picnic was held in 1971 at the Glenwood Manor Park at 95th and Metcalf, and we celebrated our first 20 years at the Sweden House smorgasbord restaurant.

Dorothy Carson, the longest member of a federal union, retired and was honored. Upon her death, the Local established a scholarship fund, which is still awarded each year.

The representational gains were enormous during these years. The Local initiated action in 1973 to have the "secret" no-hire files discontinued. PC management tried its hand at quality circles, but it failed to gain any support.

In 1974, the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed, providing overtime pay for non-exempt employees and setting minimum wage standards. But the PC had its own overtime policy, which was often ignored, resulting in unfair treatment of employees.

The Local won an important Unfair Labor charge and successfully ob­ tained documents which the Agency had claimed were destroyed.

The Local obtained exclusive recognition for the employees of BSSI, now known as OPIR, and the Independence , Missouri District Office.

A new PC structure was proposed . . . the "modular" concept. During this period, a large segment of the workforce there was moved to the Crown Center office, but later returned.

The Union fought successfully against a new procedure for requesting and reporting official time by Union representatives, after initiating legal proceedings.

Civil Service Reform: 1976-1980

Public Law 95-454, the Civil Service Reform Act, signed by President Carter on October 13, 1978, meant that protections afforded by Executive Orders could not be swept away by an unfriendly President. The Stewards gained responsibilities, in that grievances now encompassed any matter relating to employment with an agency. Negotiated grievance procedures were established, as well as due process laws to get them completed timely.

The Civil Service Commission was abolished for the current Office of Personnel Management. Two independent authorities, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Federal Labor Relations Authority, were also es­ tablished.

We concluded our efforts to form a consolidated national unit in 1979, allowing us for the first time to negotiate at the national level as a unit. The General Committee of SSA was formed from National Council Presi­ dents of each component, with Art Johnson as spokesperson to chair the committee.

Thus, we began negotiations in 1980 on our first National Agreement.

Back in the Local, things were really heating up. Cases of massive back pay awards and reinstatements were being won, but the most memorable case was the so-called "Gorilla" case. Management decided to eliminate retirement and holiday observances, dinners and social activities, at lunch and break periods, as well as dressing in costume. We won an important decision when the Administrative Law Judge found that the Mid-America Program Service Center could not unilaterally change existing past prac­ tices at the worksite.

Benefit Authorizers were threatened with downgrade, which was suc­ cessfully blocked. Terminal digit workload distribution was introduced on a trial basis.

Reginald Huey was elected Executive Vice-President by acclamation, a position he has held ever since.

In 1979, we picketed against Jimmy Carter's pay reform bill. But we had no idea how bad it was going to get.

The Reagan Years: 1981-1985

More programs, more work, less staff. For federal workers, the Reagan years were years of decline. Pay caps and cutbacks began to increase dra­ matically.

But we were busy signing our first National Agreement in 1982, which was two long years in the making. It brought gains in many areas, includ­ ing the concept of progressive discipline, overtime in 15-minute increments, as well as fairness in promotions and appraisals and timely progress reviews. But the real gain was that it was a binding agreement.

Although federal union officials had "violated" the old 1932 Hatch Act for years with little more than a nod and a wink from the Administration, it began to be used with a vengeance in the 1984 elections. Three National Union leaders, including AFGE President Ken Blaylock, were charged with Hatch Act violations.

So our Local First Vice President and Newsletter Editor Bill Clause was in good company when he was suspended for 45 days for printing parti­ san political material. But the Local reimbursed his lost wages and he and other volunteers set up town hall meetings to open up communications with members and employees.

The Newsletter was awarded the highest honor that can be earned by a federal employee newsletter in 1984.

We first heard the words "job-related stress" and came to know first­ hand what it meant. The Local won cases for employees who were un­ fairly treated in sick leave restrictions, terminations, disability retirements, within-grade increases and promotions. We even won one case where 11 BA trainees were promoted retroactively seven months.

The Dorcas Years: 1986-1990

Staffing cutbacks at SSA of 17,000 jobs was implemented and left us with disbelief. Dorcas Hardy was Commissioner for only three years but the measures she instituted made it seem longer. We picketed when she came to Kansas City and made her life generally unbearable until she finally did resign under pressure.

The Lunch and Learn method of communication was adopted by the Local. We reached out and fed workers at the PSC, and then the Field Offices as well. Wichita and Winfield were added to the Local, along with St. Joseph , Maryville and Chillicothe . Eventually we merged with Local 3820 and acquired Sedalia , Warrensburg, Jefferson City , Columbia , Rolla, Joplin and Nevada.

Back Pay, NTEU, Spiking: 1991-1994

1991 -AFGE Local 1336 turned 40 in March and we celebrated with a special night at the Plaza Hilton. It was billed and delivered as four decades of service to its members. National President Sturdivant was on hand to enjoy and honor the many years of service its many officers and stewards have given the local. In May 1991 the first of an almost decade long win for back pay awards began.

The year 1992 can be summed up in one word. NTEU. This was the year of the petition to decertify AFGE as the exclusive representative of SSA. Local 1336 became totally involved with the fight marshalling all of our resources to beat back a misguided and ultimately costly attempt of a rival non-AFL-CIO Union to represent SSA workers. New faces started to rise during this era as Peter E. Shields became the Local's Treasurer with the Retirement of Jim Gibson that year.

1993 brought a second win for overtime back pay for Claims Authorizers, some local CA's received over $10,000!! Locality pay for Federal workers also became a long overdue reality due to efforts of local and national AFGE activists. The first of a series of Upgrades for SR's and TSR's that Local 1336 and AFGE (nationally) had previously campaigned for occurred.

1994- The word SPIKE became part of the SSA landscape. Training SPIKES, spike commitment, stress, World Class Service, 800# commitment etc., all terms that would haunt, motivate, morph and evolve for the following decade and beyond. The other word that would change the landscape briefly was PARTNERSHIP. This started with Executive Order 12871 signed by President Bill Clinton and would be the way the Union and Management would do business with and for each other through the next 7 years. 1994 also saw Art Johnson re-elected for what would be his last term as President.

Furlough Shutdown and Transition: 1995-1997

1995- Art Johnson and Reggie Huey retired as SSA employees in January 1995. The local hosted a reception for them in February. Both stayed as officers for the local through the end of their terms. This resulted in appointing Acting Officers to protect official time through 1998. The unbelievable tragedy of the Oklahoma City bombing changed the security landscape of the Boling building and all government buildings. As Local 1336 finished mourning we became galvanized by the government shutdowns in October and November. Members and non members rallied, protested and suffered in solidarity as the politicians made a mockery of government job security. Being sent home not knowing when or if paychecks would be coming was an experience we had thought politicians would not repeat…..

1996- AFGE and Local 1336 became politically aware as never before. The Rallying cry ‘We Will Remember in November!” was coined right here in KC with a local rally with National President Sturdivant. 1996 also saw dramatic increases in membership spurred by the furlough-shutdown controversy of the previous year. Finally after decades of lobbying, File Clerks/Records Analysis Clerks got UPGRADED. Partnership in action began in SSA in JOINT management and employee award panels. After over a decade of legislating, Congress finally voted for the Social Security Administration becoming an independent agency.

1997- Social Security Administration privatization and the Family Medical Leave Act expansion dominated the national scene. It marked the end of an era as Art Johnson's 32 year career of service as Local 1336's President came to a close. It also marked the end of William ‘Bill' Clause's tenure as an officer. His service as Newsletter Editor and Local Labor Activist for the local has been missed. Beverly J. Garrett was nominated and elected to succeed Art in October 1997.

Beginnings, Continuations, Changes: 1998-2001

1998 Saw the beginning of Beverly J. Garrett's term as President. The year also marked the move of the local's annual picnic from Sunday to Saturday and from September to June. Labor Management Partnerships continued and evolved with interest-based bargaining on issues at a local and national level. The major Change was in job title for Art Johnson, as in January 1998 Arthur B. Johnson was elected President Emeritus to honor his years of service to the local and federation. The by-law change to accomplish this passed easily as the members continue to support Art as he continues to support and assist us. New faces come and go in the Union Office, but Art remains.

1999- The Local lost its first long time officer as Don McLaughlin, Treasurer 1978-1988 passed away. As the federal building aged we worried about Sick Building Syndrome.

SPIKING turned eight and world class service became calls per hour and meeting unrealistic numeric goals; a sign of unpleasant things to come.

2000- On April 6, 2000, a National Agreement that established partnership principles would be ratified and implemented. At the 35 th National Convention held at Lake Buena Vista , Florida , August 21 st , President Emeritus Arthur B. Johnson was presented with AFGE's 6 th National A. Philip Randolph/Hubert Humphrey Human Rights Award. Beverly J. Garrett was unanimously re-elected as the Local's President. Long time Secretary Benita K. Jordan was elected First Vice President and Craig A. Hampton was elected to his first officer position as Assistant Chief Steward. A blast from the past occurred when retired member Calvin McGuire returned as Treasurer.

2001 was, is and will be defined by 9/11. That event, even more than the bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995 brought us together. Already the writing was on the wall. Gone was the cooperation of partnership and it was back to the acrimony of labor management relations. Local 1336 dropped back and regrouped to retrench in our approaches. Peter Shields was elected Executive Vice President and Craig A. Hampton was appointed by the E-Board as Acting Chief Steward due to then Chief Steward Dorothy Joy sustaining what would be a career ending injury.

Back to the Future: 2002-2005

2002 ushered in the beginning of more ill feelings as numerous Union-Management grievances, unfair labor practices and reactive counter measures against the Local commenced. Some of those issues continue. Nationally AFGE convened a Union Leadership Conference in Chicago , Illinois to mark the 75 th anniversary of the Federations' formation. The local grew dramatically in service area with the merger of Local 3818 (representing field office employees in Greater St. Louis area).

2003- Beverly J. Garrett became United Way Co-Chair continuing her service to CFC and AFGE and becoming more involved in the community. The local recognized the forty years of service of Art Johnson and Calvin McGuire. Confirming 1336's importance to AFGE nationally, Andrea Brooks, National Woman's Director visited in July. One of SSA's own, Local 1923 President John Gage was elected National President in August during the 36 th Triennial National Convention held in Las Vegas , Nevada .

2004- Nationally, the Presidential campaign and the results in November would have dramatic results. Title 2 Redesign became dreaded words and “paperless” workloads for SSA workers became the norm…sort of. The AFGE Union Negotiators gambled and lost--hoping that a change in the President would change the management's national negotiation strategy to propose massive roll backs of the 2000 contract. Labor relations froze nationwide waiting for the results which would have long term consequences.

2005- T he current National Agreement was implemented with rancor reaching even higher levels between Labor and Management. The Local struggled to find good things. The VDT related eye care increase and the transit subsidy increase were welcome. All of settled in for leave Rosters, for the first time credit hour cancellations, and other unilateral management decisions that while we are fighting will take too long for tangible benefits to be won.

Tragedy Strikes: 2006

2006- Local 1336 Lost Reginald T. Huey, Executive Vice-President Emeritus on January 9, 2006. Since his retirement in 1995 Reggie remained in contact with the local. Unfortunately that was only the first of a much greater loss as Beverly J. Garrett was killed in a horrible automobile accident on June 1, 2006, along with her mother, Mrs. Beulah Hunter, an aunt and a niece. The PSC came together for a huge memorial service on June 9 th which was attended by Beverly 's family and many fellow members of the Labor Community to stand in somber solidarity for our fallen sister. The stunned local held an emergency Executive Board meeting in which the provision of the Local's Bylaw Section 15 placed Peter E. Shields EVP, President by succession with the vacancy in the office of President. Craig A. Hampton was then appointed to fill the EVP position, Sherry West to the Chief Steward position and Diane Washington Assistant Chief Steward.

Life continues with management's tiered appraisal system being implemented on October 1 reminding us that Mother Jones' famous “ pray for the dead fight like hell for the living” is as true now as ever. Local 1336 has been here for over fifty five years for its members and is still here better than ever, more ready to fight for your rights.