CELEBRATE LABOR RECOGNITION WITH US!

NTEU recognizes the hard work of federal employees and the contributions you have made to this country. Thank you!

Contact congress and let your voice be heard!

Shop for Back to School and a Good Cause Still have back-to-school items on your shopping list? You can now support the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund while shopping for school supplies and more on Amazon.com. Shop now Summertime has not meant a slow down for NTEU. As August draws to a close and Congress prepares for a busy fall, NTEU is urging our members to contact their representatives on such urgent issues as the 2016 federal pay raise, attacks on retirement benefits and adequate protections following the OPM data breaches. There are two ways to make your voice heard: 1. Call or visit your members of Congress in their home offices before the summer recess ends on Friday, Sept. 4. Visit our congressional directory for contact information. 2. Take a few moments to email your representatives. The more members speak out on an issue, the greater our chance to make a difference.                                                                                                       [Source: www.NTEU.org]

Tony Reardon Elected as NTEU National President

Tony Reardon was elected today as the new National President of NTEU by delegates to the union’s 55th national convention. He received 89 percent of the votes cast.

[Tony Reardon]Reardon, a 25-year NTEU veteran, is currently the NTEU National Executive Vice President.

“I am honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me by NTEU delegates,” Reardon said.

The President-elect promised to work with NTEU chapter leaders and members to construct a shared vision for NTEU’s future. He believes strongly that federal employees deserve fair pay and a secure retirement.

"Our members do critical work for our country and I will fight for them and be vigorous in my defense of them. I promise to work hard each day to help them realize their aspirations for the future,” he said. 

[Jim Bailey]

NTEU delegates also chose Jim Bailey to serve as National Executive Vice President. Bailey also has more than 25 years of NTEU experience, most recently as Director of Field Operations. The new officers will be sworn in Thursday, the closing day of NTEU’s convention. Colleen M. Kelley is retiring after 16 years as National President.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  [Source:www.NTEU.org]

FINAL PRESIDENT'S VIEW: THANK YOU AND FAREWELL

As NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley prepared for her Aug. 13 retirement, she expressed her thoughts about what the last 16 years have meant to her in the [August issue of NTEU bulletin]. Delegates to the NTEU 55th National Convention will elect a new National President on Aug. 11.

"I believe strongly in the power of unions and especially this union. NTEU members do amazing and remarkable work every day. The incredible contributions you make to our country go largely unnoticed by the public you serve, which is a testament to how well you do your jobs and a failing of your agencies that they do not do a better job promoting your achievements." 

Please visit www.NTEU.org for more information.                                                 [Source: National NTEU]

NTEU Sues OPM Over Cyberattacks

NTEU sued the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) today over the recent cyberattacks, alleging that the agency violated NTEU members’ constitutional rights by failing to protect their private information.

Federal employees, in order to work for the government, must give a great deal of highly intimate and personal information. Federal employees entrust this information to OPM with the expectation that the information, including details about medical conditions and private personal relationships, will be kept confidential and safe from unauthorized access. 

However, OPM for years has failed to properly safeguard this sensitive information. In its yearly audits, OPM’s Inspector General criticized OPM for its inability to protect its information systems. This ongoing failure led to the sweeping data breaches that OPM announced in June. 

That is why NTEU, after considering all options available to address the OPM data breaches, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that OPM has violated NTEU members’ constitutional right to informational privacy. 

“We believe that a lawsuit is the best way to force OPM to take immediate steps to safeguard personnel data, prevent such attacks in the future and help our members protect themselves against the fallout,” NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said.

NTEU is asking the court to:

•  Declare that OPM’s failure to improve cybersecurity was an unconstitutional act;
•  Order OPM to pay for lifetime credit-monitoring services and identity-theft protection for NTEU members;
•  Order OPM to take all the necessary steps to heighten its IT security program and protect NTEU members’ data from falling into the hands of hackers in the future; and
•  Prevent OPM from collecting personal information from NTEU members electronically or requiring them to submit such data in an electronic form until the court is satisfied with the agency’s cybersecurity upgrades.

The union is not pursuing monetary damages. We want to help our members stay safe from these breaches and get the security practices in place so that this never happens again. We are asking the court to order that OPM reform its security practices to the court’s satisfaction and lifetime credit monitoring and identity theft protection be available for members. Also, to get money damages, the suit would have had to be brought under the Privacy Act. While prevailing under the Privacy Act was not impossible, it was not very promising. 

This litigation is the latest example of NTEU’s extensive, multi-front effort to advocate for employees who were harmed by this breach. Since the cyberattacks were disclosed, NTEU has met with and written to OPM and sent letters and testimony to Congress and the White House. The union has also been talking to members of Congress about introducing legislation to extend the credit monitoring beyond 18 months and have gotten positive responses from a number of lawmakers. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has confirmed that he will be introducing such legislation in the very near future. We have also been working with Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on a similar House bill.

See a list of all actions NTEU has taken.

Be sure to check NTEU's web site (www.NTEU.org) for updates.

Act now: Safeguard federal employee information

While NTEU is working hard to ensure your issues are heard on Capitol Hill, you can always help. Act now and send your Representatives a letter to ensure you and your information are protected.

[Click above for a pre-filled letter]

Identity Theft and Fraud Protection

Unions protect American workers - Join one today!

The labor movement in the United States grew out of the need to protect the common interest of workers. For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired.                     www.history.com

Utah down 900 IRS jobs since 2011

[Standard Examiner]Utah is shedding IRS jobs at a remarkable rate of 14% in just 4 years. Congress needs to put aside politics and restore common sense. IRS generates 93% of America's revenue. Each time IRS's budget is cut, the country is losing billions of dollars to save millions..

Utah down 900 IRS jobs since 2011 - Standard.net

NTEU Remembers Oklahoma City on April 19th 1995