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The history of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers or IFPTE, can be traced back to 1914, when technical employees had no significant union representation. The first organization of technical employees was the Society of Marine Draftsmen, established in 1913 and ran by the upper management of the shipbuilding companies. The Society held its first convention in 1914, approving some minor resolutions while refusing wage increases. The Society disbanded shortly after, but the employees at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia seized the opportunity to form their own union, Draftsmen Union No, 15327, with a charter from the American Federation of Labor (AFL). These organized employees later became IFPTE, Local 1, becoming one of the first official federal unions. In less than four years, Draftsmen Union No, 15327, expanded to become the International Federation of Draftsmen's Unions founded on July 1, 1918 when the AFL granted another charter to start a new labor organization representing technical engineering employees. The International Federation of Draftsmen's Unions charters included Local 1, Portsmouth, Virginia; Local 2, New York, New York; Local 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Local 4, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Local 5, Newport, Rhode Island; Local 6, Charleston, South Carolina; Local 7, Quincy, Massachusetts; Local 8, Vallejo, California; and Local 12, Bremerton, Washington.

The first order of business for this new union was to negotiate for higher wages to meet the WWI-inflated cost-of-living. President Woodrow Wilson almost doubled the pay rate for shipyard engineers and federal draftsmen, leading non-member draftsmen to join the union. In 1919, the Federation petitioned AFL to include other technical craftsmen and became the International Federation of Technical Engineers, Architects, and Draftsmen's Unions.

During the Federation’s early years, members would meet in Washington, D.C. during annual convention time, and lobby the Navy and Federal Wage Board for higher wages and improved benefits. By the late 1920s, several public and private sector locals were organized. Early bargaining successes included salary increases throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and passage of SB 262 in April 1951, improving the state employees’ retirement system. Until the mid-1960s, the Federation president was the sole executive officer and would often forego salary due to the union’s financial issues. Most Federation presidents were on leave from federal shipyards and eventually returned to the Navy after their two-year term.

There were no formal organizing services until the late 1950s, and in 1960 a full-time director of organization was created, adding several new organizers throughout the country. The early 1950s were a substantial growth period for the union, acquiring many members from the Portland area in 1950, engineering employees of the Bonneville Power Administration in 1951, and affiliation with the Columbia Power Annual Employees Council. In San Francisco during the ‘30s and ‘40s, chemists and other lab staff at Cutter Labs in Berkeley and at Shell Development, were associated with the Federation after organizing the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) Federation of Architects, Engineers, Chemists, and Technicians (FAECT). The San Francisco chapter, officially chartered Local 21 in April 1977, was formed when the Federation’s organizer was transferred from Seattle to San Francisco in the late 1960s. This led to an agreement for an increase in organizing assistance based on a new member quota for a one-year period and attempts to obtain certification for several bargaining units. The San Francisco chapter’s membership was about 350 employees at the time and increased to over 1,200 members during that period. By the 50th anniversary in 1968, the Federation’s membership was only about 13,000 and in 1973, IFPTE represented 17,700 members within seventy-nine local unions. During the 1970s, there were a series of municipal strikes throughout San Francisco. Along with new collective bargaining legislation, these strikes spurred the addition of non-member chemists, accountants, auditors, municipal planners, data processors, and a variety of professional, administrative, technical, and mid-management groups. Local 21 now represents the South Bay, Oakland, East Bay, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the City of San Francisco, including the San Francisco Department of Public Works and Hunters Point Shipyard. During this time, the Federation also assisted IFPTE, Local 8, in obtaining exclusive representation of all employees in technical and scientific fields at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA. The union began to grow at a much faster rate after that period due to organizing outside of the union’s formal jurisdiction, reaching 23, 483 members by 1986.

The Federation’s broad scope of membership now includes Boeing, the City of San Francisco, Coulee Dam engineers, Pacific Coast Shipbuilders, Public Utilities, log scalers, architects, Seattle Metal Trades Council, Bechtel, economists, surveyors, attorneys, accountants, and many more throughout Canada and the United States.

On October 24, 1927, the Seattle Association of Technical Engineers and Architects, Local 17, joined the Federation. In the early 1940s, Local 17 gained jurisdiction over the entire state of Washington in order to more effectively represent the needs of professional engineers in the region. At this time, the Local’s official name was changed to the Technical Engineers and Architects Association. From 1955 to 1973, the Federation went by the American Federation of Technical Engineers (AFTE), and Local 17’s name changed again to the Professional and Technical Engineers Association.

Since the 1970s, Local 17 has expanded its representation to include a wider range of job classifications – from nurses, social workers, and health specialists, to real estate appraisers, transportation planners, environmental specialists to engineers. By 1980, there were 3400 members. The Local 17 governing body voted in 2010 to separate from the Federation, whose membership costs had become increasingly unsustainable, and whose leadership was unresponsive to the priorities of Local 17 and its members. At this time, the name was changed to Professional and Technical Employees, instead of Engineers, to more accurately reflect the professional diversity of the membership. Since that time, the organization has expanded its reach into Oregon and continues to grow. Today, PTE Local 17 represents nearly 9,000 public employees across Washington and Oregon.

In 1964, the Canadian General Electric groups of Local 164 went on strike for a month. This strike involved approximately 40% of Local 164 and was their first major strike since affiliating with AFTE. The Canadian chapters, Local 164 and 166, were unhappy with the support received during this strike and efforts were made to withdraw from AFTE. Union leaders from both sides visited Toronto and explained the financial and organizational hazards of withdrawal. They decided that success as a union would require cooperation and contribution to the development of AFTE to make it a worthwhile international organization. In January 1972, President David Dodd of the Draftsmen’s Association of Ontario, Local 164, suggested that AFTE change its’ name to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) to give it a more inclusive feel. The name change took effect in May of 1973. In 1979, IFPTE’s business manager Mike Waske, along with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, filed suit on behalf of 22 unions representing Seattle employees to preserve collective bargaining procedures. Waske contended that the enactment of a personnel ordinance, part of a city charter amendment passed by voters in 1977, violated state law. Washington’s Public Employees’ Collective Bargaining Act required municipalities to bargain collectively with employees over wages, hours, working conditions, and terms of employment. The union maintained that the new personnel system conflicted with collective bargaining because it called for uniform personnel procedures and conflicted with their ability to hire and promote employees based on merit rather than seniority. King County Superior Court accommodated the merit system and collective bargaining by ruling that the City of Seattle must bargain with employees under state law, while maintaining the personnel ordinance and declaring it consistent with the law. IFPTE, Local 17 v. City of Seattle is an important milestone in public employee rights.

During the 1980s, IFPTE experienced a labor crisis due to forced strikes and “union busters” preventing employees from organizing.

In February of 1992, members of the City of Tacoma’s Technical and Supervisor bargaining units ratified a three-year agreement modifying the City’s health care coverage and introducing a new substance abuse policy. These additional benefits included public transportation reimbursement. In May of 1992, IFPTE’s Tacoma members ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the City of Tacoma which was effective through December 1994. The agreement provided wage adjustments with a minimum increase of 3% to a maximum of 6% each year, covering approximately 180 employees in the Tacoma area.

During this time, union representatives also began negotiating collective bargaining agreements with Washington State Patrol and the Seattle Police Department, presenting proposals for the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEO) contract, with upgrades in classification, pay rates, and a vote to make membership dues part of their conditions of employment. The union negotiators were CVEO president Ernie Brown, vice president Tom Woods, and IFPTE staff negotiator Karen Place. By 1993, over one hundred of the IFPTE members at the Seattle Police Department were upgraded to new classification titles and higher salary ranges.

In the summer of 1992, twenty Boeing machinists, also affiliated with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) District Lodge 751, joined IFPTE and selected the union as their bargaining representative. IFPTE and IAM District 751 coordinated an agreement outlining and protecting working conditions, benefits, and salaries of IAM District 751’s employees, which included 36,000 Boeing employees.

Another group associated with Boeing employees, was the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA). On October 13, 1999 SPEEA members voted to become Local 2001 of IFPTE to officially become a union. They now represent Boeing, Spirit Aerosystems, and Triumph Composite Systems, with members throughout Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah, Florida, and California.

The union’s financial issues were a recurring problem and would not be alleviated until the mid-’90s. Failure to win convention votes to increase union dues resulted in a deficit of about $12,000 for 1992 and the inability to replace equipment. Even with the monthly assistance from the International Union Executive Council that they had been awarded. IFPTE needed a full membership vote to increase its dues. The dues had been the same since the ‘80s and the union could not keep up with rising costs without raising its dues. In November of 1992, IFPTE dues were .85% of gross monthly wages, while other unions were up to 1.3%. IFPTE was finally able to set aside funds from December 1994 through 1996. This meant new telephone systems, computer hardware, and other equipment for the union offices that hadn’t been upgraded since the ‘80s.

IFPTE was involved in every aspect of workers’ rights for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), including wage increases, construction zone safety, and freedom of speech. For many years, IFPTE’s Department of Transportation members were afflicted with a persistent pay lag. In July of 1991, the Washington State Legislature approved a 10% pay increase and restored the State employee health and welfare package. Any cuts that the union had suffered were restored and even more money was added to fund benefits. In January of 1995, the DOT and IFPTE worked together for reclassification and salary increases anywhere from 5-10% for DOT appraisers.

In Edwards v. Department of Transportation , engineer Roger Edwards had written a letter critical of his employer to the City of Tacoma. As a result, his salary was reduced for a five month period without due process prior to disciplinary action. The DOT claimed that his letter was an embarrassment to the department and potentially damaging to its relationship with the City. Edwards appealed to Thurston County Superior Court where it was initially determined that his due process rights were violated, but his freedom of speech was not. IFPTE and Edwards’ appealed again where it was found that his speech was protected and that it should not have resulted in any disciplinary action. Edwards was rewarded for damages, the missing pay, and attorney’s fees.

Construction zone safety for WSDOT employees was another large issue for the union. In 1994, IFPTE testified on safety standards and led the fight to lobby the lawmakers to stiffen penalties against motorists who endanger the lives of WSDOT employees in work zones. Increasing monetary penalties for speeding and the suspension of drivers’ licenses for 60 days. Later that year, Ed Fabeck, a transportation planning technician for WSDOT was killed by a vehicle while setting traffic counters on I-90, just outside of Spokane, WA. IFPTE created a fund to assist his family and remains dedicated to safety measures for workers.

IFPTE won many reclassification disputes for union employees. On November 17, 1992, Environmental Health employees at Yakima County Health District accepted a new labor agreement providing a 4% wage increase with the help of the union’s lead negotiator Laurie Brown. Just a couple months later, IFPTE helped Pierce County employees reach agreements with the County on enhancements for medical, dental, child care, life insurance, and wellness programs. In December of 1994, Julie Klontz of Personnel Tech, had been working at the level of a Tech III for Pierce County, but the County refused to reclassify her for unclear reasons. IFPTE representative Sarah Luthens argued the matter in arbitration, winning Klontz’ reclassification and over a year in differential back pay and benefits by February of 1995.

Meanwhile, IFPTE members voted to ratify the City of Seattle’s offer on health benefits and cost of living adjustment (COLA). These contract changes included a wage increase of 3.5%, improved retiree medical plans, and premium-free dental services from 1995 to 1997. Another pay increase for 1995, granted court reporters a fifty cent per page rate increase for indigent criminal appellate transcripts by the Supreme Court. This 18% raise was the first since 1988 when IFPTE previously petitioned the court for an increase. This was a surprising achievement at the time since the state legislature had severely cut the budget for indigent criminal work.

IFPTE participated in negotiations for new uniforms for multiple organizations, some with poor reception and some positive. From October 27, 1992 to December 31, 1994 Water Department meter readers were given the option to select uniform items from an approved clothing specification list, subject to approval of the City Council’s annual budget. IFPTE and the City of Seattle collaborated on this project due to the nature of some of the Water Department's duties. Meter readers had to be easily identified on private property, sometimes entering meter chambers below ground, and were exposed to harsh conditions. IFPTE believed that this program would address these concerns and provide workers with adequate uniforms. Concurrently, two members of IFPTE’s negotiation team, Ernie Brown and Tom Woods, joined the union’s business representative Karen Place for the signing of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer (CVEO) contract. Washington State Patrol management had suggested during negotiations that the State Patrol accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) might be hindered if CVEO’s remained in Class A uniforms—the same uniform as State Troopers. After the signing ceremony, a letter to IFPTE from CALEA stated that there would have been no such demand and that the renewal for accreditation would have been granted regardless of the uniform change. CVEO members and the IFPTE bargaining team were angered by this unnecessary alteration.

From February to June 1995, IFPTE with the help of the Conflict Management Institute, put together a special Shop Steward Training Program with follow-up and advanced training events. The sessions focused on representational and problem-solving skills, and bargaining unit training so that stewards and member leaders could learn in the context of their own contracts. In conjunction with training, IFPTE developed a guide for stewards as a reference on laws and grievance procedures. About 300 members participated in the training sessions, from the Washington State Patrol, Carpenter’s Union, Seattle City Light, Parks Department, Seattle's Department of Design, Construction and Land Use (DCLU), as well as the health districts of Benton-Franklin, Bremerton-Kitsap, King, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties.

IFPTE sponsored memberships to other labor organizations, such as the local chapter of The Asian Pacific Labor Alliance (APALA), an AFL-CIO organization formed to promote the interests of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the labor movement. IFPTE’s secretary-treasurer at the time, Allan Yamaguchi, was also the vice president of the Seattle chapter of APALA. The end of 1995 projected a busy bargaining year for 1996. Many agreements were expiring and IFPTE was preparing for negotiations by conducting contract proposal surveys, membership proposal meetings, and opening sessions with various employers. Negotiations for new agreements were set up for the Snohomish Health District, Spokane County, Seattle-King County, King County Superior Court reporters, DOT Engineering Services and Engineering Technicians, and others. IFPTE was one of the unions to lobby for the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in 1995, providing employees with more rights to stay home from work to recover from illness or care for loved ones. They also supported multiple unions and other labor organizations in their rallies and strike efforts. This included pledging economic assistance to preserve health care benefits for the International Aerospace and Machinists (IAM). For additional information on the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers and Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17, see IFPTE’s Outlook Magazine and PTE, Local 17’s Insight Magazine.