Richard Phelps for Nffe Local 1998 President

Union Leadership: My union career as a Senior Steward in 2018 at the New York Passport Agency and became Chief Steward in 2023. 

Negotiation & Advocacy: I have negotiated several local agreements, including the agency’s Dress Code, and helped negotiate the “Future of Passport Services” Memorandum Of Understanding, which introduced retention bonuses for GS-11 specialists and created the Transformation Tiger Team. I also successfully represented 97 employees in a weather/safety leave grievance, restoring four hours of leave.

 Legislative and Committee Work: From June 2018 to August 2024, I chaired the Legislative Committee, where he advocated for modernizing passport databases and lobbied for increased Student Loan Repayment Program funding. In April 2024, I was elected to lead the NFFE Transformation Tiger Team.