IFPTE Applauds NASA’s Workforce on Artemis II Launch
IFPTE congratulates “thousands of IFPTE members at NASA”
WASHINGTON, DC – The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), representing 90,000 workers across North America, including upwards of 7,000 NASA employees, issued the following statements in response to tonight’s historic launch of Artemis II:
Artemis II
President Matt Biggs: “We extend our congratulations to the thousands of IFPTE members at NASA whose quiet dedication and world-leading expertise contributed to today's launch of Artemis II. From the laboratory to ground control to the Orion capsule, the women and men who made today's historic moment possible are bound by one important fact: they are all civil servants. We wish the crew a productive journey and safe return to Earth, and we look forward to more historic victories for scientific advancement and the federal workforce. While some seem to believe that our best interest as a nation lies in undermining science, stripping NASA’s talented and dedicated workforce of their worker’s rights, and outsourcing NASA's important work, we know that America's place as a global leader in innovation will only be realized by redoubling our commitment to space exploration and the people who make it possible.”
Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson: “In 1968, the world was going through an extraordinarily turbulent time, but one moment brought people from across the globe together to celebrate the promise and achievement of American ingenuity. I remember gathering around the television with my extended family that December 24th to watch the live broadcast from the Apollo 8 capsule and listen as the crew took turns addressing "all of you on the good Earth." Today I am proud to stand with the thousands of IFPTE members whose dedication to scientific advancement and fact-based research add to NASA's legacy, and I call on members of Congress to continue to support their mission and protect NASA's future.”
Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (GESTA/IFPTE Local 29) President & NASA Council of IFPTE Locals President, Tryshanda Moton: “As Artemis II launches, it highlights decades of dedication by NASA workers and union members who helped design and build the spacecraft for the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. The mission is a source of pride, featuring a historic crew that includes the first person of color, first woman, and first Canadian to circle the Moon. It represents a major achievement made possible by thousands of NASA employees and partners, marking an important milestone for NASA, the nation, and the world.”
Marshall Engineers and Scientists Association (MESA/IFPTE Local 27) President Jared Leggett: “Many NASA unionists, including Local 27 members and their coworkers, have provided invaluable contributions to this mission from the initial design, implementation, requirements derivations, development, verification & validation, operations planning, and will continue to do so. There are some who will be involved with operations, and many will be heavily involved with all of the post-flight analyses to make sure that the crew return safely to Earth and we learn fully all the lessons needed to meet the accelerated launch schedule for next year’s Artemis III mission.”
IFPTE is NASA’s largest federal union, representing upwards of 7,000 NASA workers, and is fighting in both the Courts and on Capitol Hill to restore all worker collective bargaining rights from attacks by NASA management and the Trump Administration.
###