Harassment, Culture of Fear Flourished at Federal Workers Union, Staff Say
Current and former employees question whether an investigation into sexual harassment allegations at AFGE will dig deep enough.
- J. David Cox
The American Federation of Government Employees was founded to “build a better workplace.” The union failed to do that at its own shop under its president, J. David Cox, according to current and former staff and members. Now they're questioning whether an investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Cox will dig deep enough into what they describe as a hostile environment.
People in positions of power at AFGE have failed for years to deal with complaints about inappropriate behavior, bullying or bias, leaving workers and union members frustrated and anxious, dozens of current and former staff and members say. The alleged misconduct by Cox was just the highest-profile example of the yawning gap between the organization's public persona as a champion of worker rights and the way it treated its own people, says Caniesha Washington, an AFGE employee for 12 years before she left in September.