Advocacy

Between demands on your time and restrictions placed upon you as a federal employee, it is hard for DoDEA employees to speak out about the work-related issues that concern them.

FEA and NEA provide a voice for members at DoDEA headquarters, in the Pentagon, and on Capitol Hill, making sure decision makers are aware of the “real picture” facing faculty and staff in DOD schools.

Whether it’s calling upon management for changes to working conditions or calling upon Congress for changes in laws affecting our members and the families they serve, FEA – with fantastic assistance from NEA’s Government Relations department – ensures our members’ concerns and priorities are heard at the highest levels.

Over the years FEA and NEA have successfully advocated for the rights of members in so many ways:

• In one of its earliest victories, NEA helped FEA (known then as OEA) convince lawmakers to enact legislation guaranteeing overseas educators would be paid comparably to U.S. public school employees
• FEA and NEA helped to educate lawmakers about unfair taxation of moving assistance for new and separating/retiring employees in Overseas schools, resulting in RITA/WTA assistance being extended to them
• Throughout the early 2000s, FEA, with great assistance from NEA, fought the A-76 study, which sought to privatize many support positions in DDESS schools
• Preventing an attempt by management to eliminate Stateside as a separate bargaining unit, FEA and NEA informed members of Congress about DoDEA management attempts to merge the Overseas and Stateside units
• FEA has led multiple fights against efforts to transfer control of Stateside schools to Local Education Agencies
• FEA frequently brings members’ pay issues to the attention of DoDEA staff, often resulting in resolution or improvements without the need for legal proceedings

Past outcomes are not a guarantee of the results in future matters, and the outcome of a particular case or matter cannot be predicated upon our union’s past results.

To learn more about how FEA and NEA have advocated for members over the years, read about FEA’s history.

If you are aware of any legislation we should know about or believe there is a member issue that we could advocate for at the federal level, please contact us.