Washington, DC – May 14, 2013.  The National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees (NAPFE) is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this year.  The only independent black-controlled labor union in the Postal and Federal service was founded on October 6, 1913, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  At that time, it was the National Alliance of Postal Employees (NAPE).  It wasn’t until 1965 that Federal employees were included in the membership ranks.

The union was founded because the A.F.L. unions would not represent African Americans in grievances and adverse actions.  Indeed, most of them had discrimination clauses in their constitutions that banned membership in the union. It was the same year that Postmaster Albert S. Burleson of Texas moved to segregate every department in the Post Office.  Separate swing rooms, laboratories, the working environment in its entirety.

The Railway Mail clerks were hit very hard.  They were removed from their duties on several railway mail lines to make way for white workers.  Since there was no one to represent them, the colored railway mail clerks banded together to form a union that would represent them before Post Office officials.

NAPFE played a significant role in having the photo removed from government applications for jobs.  The union also had significant input in the law that changed the old Civil Service Commission to the current Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

NAPFE placed a full page ad in the Washington Post decrying the ambiguous language in certain sections of the proposed law. The union was asked to submit the language that would clear up those misleading sections.  The changes submitted were accepted by the Carter Administration and became a part of the law.

The union is renowned for its representation of its membership. In the seventies, the union strived to include every member of the family by setting up divisions that included a retiree division, a youth division, a management division, and the spouses of members belonged to the Auxiliary which has been in existence since 1921.

NAPFE has had fourteen (14) national presidents since its founding.  The current National President is James M. McGee.

The union will be holding the Fiftieth Biennial National Convention, August 4 – 10, 2013 in the city in which it was founded, Chattanooga, Tennessee.