AFGE Timeline

In 1932, civil service employees came together to stand up for basic workplace rights, forming the American Federation of Government Employees. Politicians were actively seeking to dismantle the nation’s civil service, workers at the time faced wage cuts, increased furloughs, and career opportunities had become increasingly rare. AFGE continued to grow and thrive across the nation in the following two decades.

The Federal Pay Act of 1945, passed thanks to the tireless efforts of AFGE members, raised pay by almost 16 percent, the highest single pay increase for federal workers in modern history. Workplace victories continued into the 1950s, with AFGE members fighting for and winning within-grade pay increases, transportation allowances for transferred workers, and payment for accrued annual leave, overtime, and night and holiday work. 

In 1962, after decades of AFGE activism, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10988, proclaiming that “the right of federal employees to deal collectively with the federal departments and agencies in which they are employed should be protected.” For the first time in American history, federal employees now had the right to collectively bargain and advocate for themselves.

Today AFGE proudly represents 750,000 federal and D.C. government workers across the United States and the world.