Previous news items from our home page have been moved here.
Council 222 Receives Notice of Reduction In Force (RIF)Oct 10, 2025 - The Department sent notification of proposed Reduction In Force (RIF) for some staff in PIH, Office of Housing, Office of Housing Counseling and FHEO. Per the contract, Managment must notify the Union in writing at least 60 days in advance of an effective date of a RIF. The Union (Council 222) has sent a Cease and Desist AND a Demand To Bargain. View these documents on our current Bargaining Page.
President Gaines Letter to HUD Secretary on HUD Website Hatch Act ViolationOctober 1, 2025 - President Gaines sends letter to HUD Secretary Turner to formally protest and demand immediate corrective action regarding a partisan political message that appeared on HUD’s internal HUD at Work website. The message in question states: “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people." (The political message also appeared on the public HUD homepage). » read letter
President Gaines Files FOIA Request for HUD Contract ComplianceSeptember 15, 2025 - Council President Gaines filed a Freedom of Information Act relating to HUD compliance with our Collective Bargaining Agreement. The request is made in support of union oversight responsibilities and in preparation for a report to Congress regarding the current state of contract compliance. » read the FOIA
President Gaines Letter to US States Representative Emanuel CleaverApril 2025 - Council President Gaines sent letter to United States Representative Emanual Cleaver. The letter summarizes the various obstacles federal employees are facing under the Trump administration
Organized Labor, Democracy Partners Form Network to Provide Free Legal Support to Fired Federal WorkersApril 22 - AFGE has partnered with other labor unions and allied organizations to form Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network connecting lawyers who can provide free, direct legal support to federal workers who have been fired or current workers who are concerned their workplace rights are being threatened by the Trump administration.
Over 1,000 lawyers have been trained and are ready to provide pro bono counsel to federal workers as Trump and his billionaire buddy Elon Musk intensify their efforts to wreak havoc on our government and democratic institutions. » read AFGE article
President Gaines Files FOIA Request for HUD Contract ComplianceSeptember 15, 2025 - Council President Gaines filed a Freedom of Information Act relating to HUD compliance with our Collective Bargaining Agreement. The request is made in support of union oversight responsibilities and in preparation for a report to Congress regarding the current state of contract compliance. » read the FOIA
President Gaines Letter to US States Representative Emanuel CleaverApril 2025 - Council President Gaines sent letter to United States Representative Emanual Cleaver. The letter summarizes the various obstacles federal employees are facing under the Trump administration
Organized Labor, Democracy Partners Form Network to Provide Free Legal Support to Fired Federal WorkersApril 22 - AFGE has partnered with other labor unions and allied organizations to form Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network connecting lawyers who can provide free, direct legal support to federal workers who have been fired or current workers who are concerned their workplace rights are being threatened by the Trump administration.
Over 1,000 lawyers have been trained and are ready to provide pro bono counsel to federal workers as Trump and his billionaire buddy Elon Musk intensify their efforts to wreak havoc on our government and democratic institutions. » read AFGE article
Trump Litigation TrackerApril 21 - Just Security Website is a public resource that tracks legal challenges to Trump administration actions.
Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Move to Bust Federal Employee UnionsAFGE PRESS RELEASE, WASHINGTON – Labor unions representing federal government workers across the country are suing the Trump administration over the president’s attempt to override the law through executive order and strip more than one million federal government employees of their union rights. Read April 4 AFGE Press Release and the Lawsuit on AFGE.org
Petry To Retire After 49 Years of Federal Service
April 2025 - Patty Petry is retiring (due to DOGE) after 49 years of federal service with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Fargo, ND. Petry is proud of her 49 year career with HUD, assisting clients in ND. She is also proud of a 23 year career with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), serving co-workers in Fargo and HUD AFGE bargaining unit employees nationwide.
Petry became a union member, later starting a union in the ND HUD office (2009). Upon retirement she will volunteer as a Web Designer and Communication Specialist with AFGE at Council level or wherever union help is needed. Her belief to always "look out for the little guy" was formed in the beginning of her federal career and will continue on in volunteer work.
101 Congress Members and Senators Sent Letter to HUD Sec TurnerMarch 27 - 101 congress members and senators sent letter to HUD Sec Turner opposing any closings of HUD offices and and demanding significant information if offices are closed.
OPM Guidance on Agency RIF and Reorganization PlansFebruary 26, 2025, Guidance on Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans Requested by Implementing The President's Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative
COUNCIL 222 E:ALERT HUD RIF THREATENS OUR MEMBERSFebruary 26, 2025, Council 222 sent an e:alert to bargaining unit members regarding the RIF of Office of Field Policy and Management (FPM). On February 24 we received official notice of an impending RIF affecting GS-13 employees and below, effective May 18, 2025. Management cites compliance with the Executive Order Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiate, dated February 11, 2025, as the reason for this devasting action.» FPM RIF E:alert
AFGE PRESS RELEASE: Public Service Unions and State Democracy Defenders Fund Challenge Unlawful, Mass Federal FiringsFebruary 20, 2025, Some of the nation’s largest public service unions have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the unlawful mass terminations of probationary federal employees, which was directed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its Acting Director, Charles Ezell. They allege that the firings “represent one of the most massive employment frauds in the history of this country.” In federal service, new employees and employees who change positions (including through promotions) have probationary status. The unions claim that OPM is exploiting and misusing the probationary period to eliminate staff across federal agencies, and are asking for an injunction to stop further terminations and to rescind those that have already been executed. »AFGE Press Release, »AFGE vs OPM Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
PRESS RELEASE: AFGE National Council 222 HUD Under Siege - A Legacy of Waste ExposedFebruary 14, 2025, The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Council 222, representing 5300 dedicated HUD employees, stands as a critical line of defense against reckless dismantling of essential public services. We are not new to this fight. For over a year, AFGE National Council 222 has been working with whistleblowers to expose fraud, waste, and abuse within HUD, even before the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, began it's work.
PRESS RELEASE, WORKPLACE IMPACT SURVEY (Feb 2025)
February 5, 2025 - AFGE National has taken decisive legal action four days after the wave of Executive Orders targeting federal workers began. » e:alert, AFGE TRO filing
Public Service Unions File Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Efforts to Politicize the Civil ServiceJanuary 29, 2025 - Today, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represented by Democracy Forward and Bredhoff and Kaiser PLLC filed suit against the Trump administration challenging efforts to politicize the civil service through illegal executive orders. » read Press Release and lawsuit
Council President Gaines Standing Strong Together in Challenging timesJanuary 29, 2025 - President Gaines email to bargaining unit employees reminds all to maintain normal work routine, avoid making hasty decisions and await forthcoming detailed guidance before taking any action on the "Fork In The Road"email sent to all employees. Council 222 will continue to communicate updates to BUE promptly, are actively monitoring developments closely and will continue to advocate for the rights and well-being of our bargaining unit employees. » read e:alert
Council 222 President Gaines Issues Cease and Desist Demand to ManagementJanuary 28, 2025 - President Gaines memo to management demands immediate cessation of two distinct and unlawful actions by the Department of Housing and Urban Development: 1) The implementation of new telework policies that violate existing agreements and federal law, and 2) the blanket request for resubmission of HUD-1000 forms. These actions expressly contravene legal precedents, statutory obligations, and collective bargaining agreements. Council 222 informs mgmt to provide documentation of corrective actions within 5 days. Failure to comply wil result in the pursuit of all available legal remedies. » read memo within e:alert sent to bargaining unit employees
HUD Ranked Among Top Agencies for Employee and Customer ServiceJanuary 17, 2025 - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is a top ten federal agency for employee and customer experience, based on results from a new study by the Partnership for Public Service. HUD has excelled in providing a productive internal customer experience for it's employees, which has led to improvements in supporting its mission-critical operations. » Press Release
Council Negotiates Extension of 2015 CBA and Space SharingDec 18, Council 222 completed negotiations on extension of our current contract until July 23, 2029 (see 2015 Blue Contract in Library) and the Space Sharing Plan, Supplement 48. Read the e:alert notification sent to bargaining unit employees on December 31.2024.
Council President Gaines Notifies Members of Congress and Local Government LeadersAugust 27, 2024 - President Gaines instructed Council 222 Legislative/Political Committee Chair Erik Jetmir to notify members of Congress and local Government leaders of Fraud, Waste and Abuse IG Complaints in HUD NSPIRE Program. Here are the letters sent August 24, 2024 (no specific order):
Mayor Muriel Bowser,
Senator Brian Schatz,
Senator Gary Peters,
Director Johana Ayers
Congressman James Comer,
Congressman Tom Cole,
Senator Patty Murray,
USOSC Hamptom Dellinger
Hon Matthew Graves,
Dominique Blom
October 2024, GovExec.com - The Partnership for Public Service plans to open a new center to help educate federal workers "from interns to executives" on the potential applications of artificial intelligence. Dubbed the Center for Federal AI, and backed by a $10 million grant from Google’s philanthropic arm, the nonpartisan good government organization’s new technology hub will launch in March 2025 with the aim of educating federal employees on how to utilize AI, helping build up and retain the federal AI workforce and in general promoting the effective use of the technology by federal agencies. » read article
HUD plans to give up 60% of its office spaceAugust 19, 2024 , Federal News Network - The Biden administration says federal agencies are getting rid of office space they no longer need, and will shed millions of square feet in the coming years, now that many federal employees are on a hybrid schedule of in-office and work-from-home days. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, as an extreme example, plans to eliminate up to 60% of its total office space footprint by 2038. HUD plans to reduce space for its field office outside the Beltway, and consolidate four D.C. satellite offices into its downtown headquarters building. » read full article
HUD Ordered to Bargain with AFGE Over AI Use at Call CentersUPDATE: August 20 - FLRA sends memo to HUD initiating compliance with the FLRA finding. Attached in the memo is the FLRA Notice to Employees which management must send to all employees.
July 22, 2024 - The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) has ordered the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to return to the bargaining table with AFGE after the agency refused to bargain artificial intelligence (AI) data rights for nearly 600 bargaining unit employees at multiple Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Resource Call Centers.
HUD has been trying to implement AI within the call centers under a project called the FHA Resource Center IT Modernization. The agency sought to have employees train AI models that would eventually replicate their existing job functions. Per the GSA Centers of Excellence contract language for the call centers, this data would then be released into open-source public domain repositories for use by anyone accessing it.
Given FHA's status as the world’s largest insurer of mortgages, negotiations surrounding FHA’s Resource Call Centers directly influence employee working conditions and the availability of home financing options for Americans.
In 2021, HUD and the AFGE National Council of HUD Locals 222, which represents HUD employees nationwide, met to bargain over the changes in working conditions and reached an agreement on some proposals. But when the union requested additional information, including the statement of work, the agency denied the request, prompting the union to reach out to a mediator to help settle the issue. » Read Full Article at AFGE.org
222 President Vows To Work Towards Mutual Agreement and Reasonable SolutionsJuly 10, 2024 - Council 222 President Antonio Gaines e:alert to bargaining unit employees lists some of the actions the agency has taken to undermine our collective bargaining rights. President Gaines vows to continue to work towards mutual agreement and reasonable solutions. Read e:alert, go to E:alerts Page to view all alerts