Political Quotes

“tonight, I rise to give tribute to the late John N. Sturdivant, President of the American Federation of Government Employees. John died last week, after a heroic battle with leukemia. Family, friends, and co-workers said farewell to John Sturdivant this week at a memorial service. He will be deeply missed. John Sturdivant dedicated his life to working people, especially government workers. As leader of AFGE--178,000 members representing one-third of our federal workforce--John fought tirelessly to transform the union into a dynamic advocate for the working and middle class Americans who make up the D.C. and federal workforce. John led a vigorous national campaign for pay raises, better benefits, and working conditions. He worked hard with legislators at all levels, to encourage 'locality pay.' This promotes a salary system that makes sure that federal workers are paid at a comparable level with private sector workers. John was at the forefront of a struggle that my constituents who are public service and federal workers face daily: the fight against privatization. He also fought for the use of 'official time,' and was a champion of the struggle to protect federal workers' retirement benefits. We will remember John Sturdivant for many contributions. He championed the right of federal workers to have a voice in politics. Working in a bipartisan manner, John Sturdivant worked to secure reforms to the Hatch Act.”