Our Mission

 

We are engineers, architects, planners, accountants, auditors, computer programmers, chemists, building, housing and fire inspectors and advisors, health professionals, managerial and administrative employees and other related public sector professionals. With our skills, leadership and creativity we work hard to make a vital contribution to the smooth planning and implementation of local government services, often orchestrating large-scale bond programs for infrastructure and maintenance, ensuring well-run transit systems, and monitoring quality control over the public water supply.

We are experts in our work and try to bring these talents and knowledge to building our union and the collective bargaining process.  We appreciate a well run union that is structured intelligently to maximize the level of member participation and democracy.   Our union and collective bargaining strengthen our defense against having to compromise our professional judgment and ethical codes for engineering, scientific, and other professional work.  Our union contracts prevent politicians from giving away our work – projects we are fully qualified for and entitled to perform.

Our interests are the public’s interest – The public has a stake in well-run government that employs the most talented and dedicated staff we can attract.

Hard work, diligence, and self-reliance are not enough to ensure orderly career advancement. Publicly employed professionals are frequently subjected to the vagaries of political whims and outside interest groups.

As professionals working within the public personnel systems, we are a union dedicated to ensuring that our skills and integrity are respected.  Through our union we are able to utilize sophisticated strategies and guarantee that we receive recognition for high level performance.

No matter who carries out the work, we are still responsible for the results and must account for all problems which arise. IFPTE Local 21 understands the pressures brought to bear on employed professionals.