Rocky Mountain region National Park Service workers have voted to unionize, and newly organized employees say another round of votes to expand union representation is coming soon.
650 workers at 12 western national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, voted to join the National Treasury Employees Union, according to a June announcement from the NTEU. The employees voted 317-11 for NTEU to be their exclusive representative, according to election results collected by the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
The new NTEU Chapter 347 will include approximately 650 employees from within the Intermountain Region, which spans from the northern peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the southern Chihuahuan Desert. Employees of the NPS Intermountain Region oversee 87 park units within eight states of the American West: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona and Montana. Positions include park rangers, scientists and administrative staff who work together to preserve natural and cultural resources, ensure visitor safety, and maintain park infrastructure.
The new chapter joins NTEU's other two NPS chapters — Chapter 296 (NPS HQ) and Chapter 336 (NPS National Capital Region). NTEU represents employees in 38 different federal agencies and departments.
Since January of last year, the National Park Service has lost nearly 25% of its permanent workforce — some 4,000 employees, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. Remaining workers have complained of understaffing, taking on additional duties and a reduction of services offered to visitors.
Michele Vaught, a backcountry ranger at Grand Canyon National Park, is among those who voted to unionize. She said the union offers workers protections against unilateral changes to their jobs.
"If there's going to be any major changes in our jobs, like our titles, what we're gonna be doing that goes beyond what our job description is that we signed on — that actually has to be negotiated through the union. So they can't just tell us all of the sudden you're going to be working over here and doing this job or changing your work schedule or where you live," Vaught said.
Vaught expects further expansion of union representation to additional Rocky Mountain regional national parks soon, including additional parks in Colorado.
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