NTEU Bulletin, March 20, 2007

Inside this Issue: March 20, 2007
Top Stories: House Approves Enhanced Federal Whistleblower Protections
Headlines: A Second Calling and the First Amendment
Get Involved: Put the Brakes on Runaway Contracting
New on NTEU.org: 'Bulletin' Follows NTEU Members Through the Halls of Congress
Top Stories
Countdown to FEEA Scholarship Application Deadline10 Days
Apply today

Put the Brakes on Runaway Contracting
Headlines of deplorable maintenance conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital have drawn public attention to the serious problems created by contracting out.Recently, the head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) responded to a March 10 Washington Post article about the scrutiny lawmakers are paying to government privatization and the effects of A-76 competitions on in-house employees. In a March 16 letter to the editor, OMB Director Clay Johnson writes, "Competitive sourcing works, and helps to ensure that taxpayer money is spent wisely."Providing a reality check on contracting out was President Kelley with her own letter to the editor. "The process is flawed," Kelley said of federal contracting rules. "Should anyone be surprised with the conditions that resulted?"Federal employees can have their say in the debate over contracting out by visiting NTEU.org, where there is a sample letter to the editor ready to send to their local media.
NTEU's contracting out page is at www.nteu.org/ContractingOut.aspx.

House Approves Enhanced Federal Whistleblower Protections
Federal employees would get enhanced whistleblower protections under NTEU-supported legislation passed by the House last week. The Whistleblower Protection Act (H.R. 985) provides and restores protections in three critical areas:• It gives whistleblowers access to all federal appeals courts—not just the Washington, D.C., circuit—if the Merit Systems Protection Board does not act on their claims within 180 days;• It closes loopholes which have prevented national security whistleblowers from obtaining protections; and • It overturns a Supreme Court decision last year sharply limiting whistleblower rights.
President Kelley wrote a letter in support of the whistleblower legislation to representatives prior to the House vote on Wednesday and is now calling on the Senate to take similar action.
For the complete story, click here or visit .NTEU Concerned Over

Proposed Changes to OPM Suitability Regulations
President Kelley went on the record with NTEU's concerns about proposed changes to regulations impacting employee rights in determinations about their suitability for initial employment or a new government position.
In comments submitted to OPM, Kelley took issue with changes that would limit the authority of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to reverse a suitability determination made by OPM or an agency. This would bar MSPB from considering any mitigating factor OPM does not deem pertinent, said Kelley, transforming the process from a "legitimate reviewing authority into a rubber-stamp." One proposal Kelley does support is to adopt additional protections for employees facing unfavorable suitability decisions and other actions.For the complete story, click here or visit .A Boost in IRS Staffing Would Bring A Boost in Revenue, Kelley TestifiesAs both the tax gap and number of tax returns increase, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has dramatically cut its staff. This is exactly the opposite step the IRS should take if it wants to improve taxpayer compliance and enforcement efforts and begin to close the $290 billion gap between taxes owed and taxes paid. Kelley made this push for increased staffing in testimony submitted today to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight for a hearing on IRS operations and the tax gap. One critical area where the IRS is missing out on much-needed revenue is in audits of large corporations and high-income taxpayers. The IRS must expand the number of audits and ensure that cases are not closed prematurely or "hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes owed will continue to be left on the table," Kelley said.
Kelley also singled out the IRS's private tax collection initiative as another policy hampering the agency's tax enforcement efforts. "There is no doubt that IRS employees are by far the most reliable, cost-effective means for collecting federal income taxes," she said. (More)The efficiency of IRS employees was highlighted in the IRS annual Data Book released Friday. The report shows that IRS employees spent just 42 cents to collect each $100 of tax revenue in fiscal 2006, a decline from 46 cents last year. According to figures, IRS employees collected more than $2.2 trillion in taxes and processed over 228 million tax returns.
Kelley called the report "one of the strongest arguments yet" for giving the IRS the staffing and resources it needs and abandoning the tax debt privatization program. (More)

Senate Approves 9/11 Bill with TSA Rights
The Senate approved broad Homeland Security legislation that includes a provision giving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees collective bargaining rights. Prior to last Tuesday's vote, Kelley wrote a letter to every member of the Senate urging passage of the provision. In January, the House approved collective bargaining for TSA employees, including Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), in its version of the bill implementing many recommendations of the 9/11 Commission."With collective bargaining rights, TSOs not only will have a meaningful voice in their workplaces, they will be on equal footing with the private sector passenger screeners at some of the nation’s airports, who already enjoy such rights—and with their fellow employees in the Department of Homeland Security," President Kelley said.As the legislation goes to conference committee, NTEU will work with lawmakers to ensure the TSA provision remains in the final version—and urge President Bush not to follow through on his threat to veto the bill. NTEU Anticipates Election Victory as AFGE Files Final AppealThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) filed its second and final appeal of NTEU’s overwhelming victory in an election held last June to represent CBP employees. The FLRA has 60 days to rule on AFGE's latest appeal. If the appeal is denied, NTEU will be certified as the union representing the entire CBP bargaining unit of approximately 20,000 employees. In January, the FLRA released a strongly-worded, 84-page decision striking down earlier objections AFGE filed to the representation election. Instead of complying with the decision, AFGE further delayed NTEU's certification, waiting until the final date possible to file another baseless appeal. Once certified, NTEU will head to the bargaining table in an effort to secure contract improvements in key areas including work assignments, bid and rotation rules, overtime and alternative work schedules. NTEU will also focus on extending such contract benefits as bilingual pay for employees in other legacy groups.
For the complete story, click here or visit www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1064
Headlines
A Second Calling and the First Amendment
The Washington Post, March 16, 2007
First Amendment right? Or conflict of interest?
Jaime Ramirez, a Customs and Border Protection officer in Presidio, Tex., ran for a nonpartisan, unpaid city council seat in 2004 and won. He had no opposition in the 2006 election and remained in office. He had obtained Customs' permission to serve on the council prior to the 2004 election.
Then, last December, the agency reversed its position and ordered Ramirez to resign his council seat. The government said its order would prevent possible conflicts of interest while permitting Ramirez to continue speaking out on civic issues of public interest.
Ramirez balked at giving up his council seat and filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Gladys Kessler granted him a preliminary injunction this week, sparing Ramirez from choosing between his council seat and his federal job until the merits of the case can be litigated.
The National Treasury Employees Union, whose lawyers are representing Ramirez, views the case as important to the free speech rights of federal workers. Colleen M. Kelley, the union president, said that "CBP should be doing all it can to encourage its employees to contribute to their community in this way."For the complete story, click here or visit www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/zarticle/2007/03/15/AR2007031502116.html

New on NTEU.org
'Bulletin' Follows NTEU Members Through the Halls of Congress
Go behind closed doors and find out what happened at meetings between NTEU members and their representatives in this month's Bulletin, now posted on NTEU.org. Follow members from Colorado, Florida and Maryland as they press NTEU's issues with their representatives and hear their reflections on how the meetings went. Coverage of the recent Legislative Conference also includes recaps of speeches from President Kelley and two members of Congress, as well as inside scoop on federal employee issues from key congressional staffers. Also, find out if your chapter was honored with an award for its legislative and political efforts.For a look at the legislative road ahead, NTEU members can check out articles on administration proposals on federal pay and benefits for 2008, as well as current legislation that would lower the cost of health insurance for federal employees and retirees.To read the Bulletin, click here or visit www.nteu.org/UnionOffice/NTEUBulletin/

MILITARY PROFILE OF THE WEEK
The Limb Family
NTEU Chapter 64, IRS
Parkersburg, W.Va.

Gloria Limb is one of a kind. This 23-year NTEU member is a chief steward for Chapter 64 and mother to three children currently serving in the United States Army. Visit NTEU.org to read her story and dozens of profiles of NTEU members and their family members serving in the military.

NTEU’s Mission: To organize federal employees to work together to ensure that every federal employee is treated with dignity and respect. The NTEU e-Bulletin is a weekly electronic newsletter published by the National Treasury Employees Union for its members. To sign up for the e-Bulletin, unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences, click here or log on to www.nteu.org/UnionOffice/eBulletin/subscribe.
The NTEU e-Bulletin is a member-only benefit, so members must be registered on the NTEU web site to access this page.
1750 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 572-5500© 2007 National Treasury Employees Union. All rights reserved.