Largest federal employee union says Almonord will fight to protect workers’ rights.

WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Valbrun Almonord for election to Congress representing Georgia’s 3^rd District.

Almonord is a member of AFGE Local 54 in Columbus, Ga., and retired from the federal government as a physician at Martin Army Community Hospital in Fort Benning, Ga. He supports protecting and expanding collective bargaining rights for all workers and strengthening workplace rights for federal employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Transportation Security Administration. He also opposes wholesale efforts to privatize federal work.

“It is with great pleasure that AFGE District 5 endorses one of our own labor leaders for Congress,” said AFGE District National Vice President David Mollett. “Val Almonord is quite knowledgeable of the issues facing working people in both the private and public sectors. His commitment to fight the legislative attacks on federal employees’ rights, benefits, and union representation makes him a candidate worthy of our support.”

More than 72,000 federal employees live in Georgia – caring for veterans, supporting the military, protecting our food supply, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time. There are about 17,880 active and retired federal employees in the 3^rd Congressional District.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents nearly 108,000 federal employees in AFGE District 5, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.