American Federation of Government Employees National President John Gage’s right-hand man and his leading rival in the last election will vie for control of the largest federal employee union this August.
Gage, who has run AFGE for nine years, announced yesterday that he will not run for a fourth term as president. The office of AFGE National Secretary-Treasurer J. David Cox, the union’s second-highest ranking officer, confirmed today that he will run for president in the union’s August election.
Alex Bastani, president of AFGE’s Local 12, which represents Labor Department employees, told Federal Times he also is running for president. Bastani took 45 percent of the vote against Gage in 2009. In a YouTube video posted during the last election, he criticized Gage for not fighting hard enough for pay parity with the military.
