The Cygnus cargo spacecraft after it was grappled by the International Space Station’s Canadarm on July 16. (Associated Press) More than 340 NASA headquarters employees will be eligible to join a union after a vote Wednesday in favor of partnering with the Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.
The workers are professional support specialists, including budget and policy analysts, administrative personnel and secretaries. The federation’s NASA Headquarters Professional Association (NHPA) will now represent more than 500 NASA workers, including 200 engineers and scientists who were already under its umbrella.
“We are honored that our colleagues, the professional support specialists, have chosen to join us in solidarity in our continued efforts for the fair, equitable and respectful treatment of employees as a means to achieve NASA’s mission,” NHPA president and agency engineer Rhoda Hornstein said in a statement.
The election was held on Wednesday, with 342 workers eligible to vote. Fifty-eight votes were cast, with 56 in favor of representation by the federation and 2 against it.
