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Opposition to Private Tax Collection Grows The 110th Congress has been in session for less than a month and already lawmakers are taking action against the IRS's tax debt privatization program. Legislation (S. 335) introduced by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) with more than a dozen co-sponsors instructs the IRS to suspend "immediately and indefinitely" its use of private debt collectors to pursue tax debts. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the House this week by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Steven Rothman (D-N.J.). Last September, the IRS began turning over thousands of sensitive taxpayer files to three private collection firms and plans to contract with as many as nine more by the end of this year. For more information, click here or visit <http://cap wiz.com/nteu/home/>.

NTEU Victory in CBP Representation Election Upheld
NTEU is a step closer to becoming the exclusive representative in the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The Washington regional director of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) on Wednesday dismissed objections filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) to an election held last year to determine a single union to represent CBP employees. NTEU won the election—the largest in federal sector history—by an overwhelming margin of 7,349 to 3,426.

AFGE has 60 days, or until March 19, to request a review of the regional director's decision by the full FLRA. NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley called on AFGE President John Gage to abandon these delay tactics which are harmful to all CBP employees. Until objections are resolved, NTEU cannot bring much-needed representation to new hires. Also, an appeal would further stall NTEU from getting to work on negotiating a new contract with improved rights and benefits.

For the complete story and more on the election, visit www.cbpunion.org/CBPelection.


NTEU Endorses Push for Fair and Equal Pay in 2008
President Kelley welcomed a bipartisan call in the House of Representatives for civilian-military pay parity in 2008, but added that federal employees also need a fair pair raise.

This latest push for pay parity, expressed in a letter sent from lawmakers to President Bush, comes as federal employees received the smallest pay raise in 18 years in their January paychecks.

Sent yesterday, the letter urges the president to "embrace the principle of pay parity" for the entire federal workforce in his 2008 budget plan, due for release next month.

The letter was signed by House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); and Reps. James Moran (D-Va.), Tom Davis (R-Va.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), C. A. ‘Dutch’ Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Albert Wynn (D-Md.) Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md).

For the complete story, click here or visit <www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/Press
Release.aspx?ID=1015>.

NTEU Sues over IRS Refusal to Release Tax Debt Program Records
NTEU filed a lawsuit Friday charging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with illegally withholding information pertaining to the tax debt privatization program.

Seven months have passed since NTEU filed the request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which requires the IRS to respond within 10 working days or use that time to request an extension. NTEU requested information on companies bidding for the tax collection work, on the contracts awarded and protests filed by losing bidders. The NTEU suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the IRS has no legal basis for withholding this information and asks the judge to order the agency to release the documents.

President Kelley noted that the IRS has been consistent in its secretive approach to the controversial contracting out initiative. This lack of transparency was also pointed out by the National Taxpayer Advocate who warned that it undermines the public's trust and called on Congress to repeal the IRS's authority to hire private sector debt collectors.

For the complete story, click here or visit <www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/
PressRelease.aspx?ID=1013>.


On Day of State of the Union, NTEU Tells Bush to Respect Feds
With the State of the Union address just hours away, NTEU's leader sent an important message to America's leader: Consider the state of the federal workforce. President Bush has lead a quest to contract out as many federal jobs as possible and strip government employees of key workplace rights. He has also underfunded agencies and denied workers a fair pay raise. These actions not only hurt employee morale, said Kelley, but are damaging to the entire country.

"Clearly, the state of our nation would improve significantly if federal employees received the respect they earn every day by their performance—and if their agencies were appropriately funded so they could accomplish their missions of service to the public," Kelley offered.

To read President Kelley's complete statement, click here or visit <www.nteu.org/PressKits/
PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1016>.

NTEU Supports Federal Whistleblower Bill
NTEU voiced its support for bipartisan legislation that strengthens protections for federal employees who report government fraud, waste and mismanagement.

This legislation, The Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act (S. 274), was introduced by Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) with nine cosponsors. Among other things, the bill would close a dangerous loophole created by last year's Supreme Court ruling that federal employees have no First Amendment protections when they speak in the course of their duties.

NTEU has a long tradition of fighting to protect the free speech rights of government employees, both in the courts and in Congress.

For the complete story, click here or visit <www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/
PressRelease.aspx?ID=1010>.

NTEU Petitions NPS Director Bomar with Over 300 Signatures
More than 300 employees of the National Park Service (NPS) have signed a petition to NPS Director Mary A. Bomar seeking her assistance in ending "the long-standing irritant" in the relationship between NTEU and NPS. Bomar was confirmed as NPS director in October 2006, when NTEU was already at odds with the agency over its refusal to sign the negotiated labor contract. By failing to sign the agreement, NPS has disregarded its obligations under federal law and denied employees the benefits called for in the new contract.

"The attached petitions from hundreds of individuals indicate that they all simply want the National Park Service to keep its word and honor the negotiated and ratified agreement by signing it and forwarding it to the Department of Interior for statutory Agency Head review," President Kelley wrote in the Jan. 4 petition's cover letter.

For more on NTEU's fight to have NPS honor the negotiated agreement, click here or visit <www.nteu.org/members/nps.aspx>.

NTEU Spotlight—Listen to This Week’s Report

This week on the NTEU Spotlight, President Kelley discusses the recent congressional push for federal pay parity, as well as a fair increase, in the 2008 budget. In addition, Kelley announces NTEU's lawsuit against the IRS under the Freedom of Information Act. NTEU is asking a court to force the IRS to release documents relating to the tax debt privatization program (see story above). In the Washington, D.C., area you can hear President Kelley’s NTEU Spotlight on Federal News Radio (1050 AM). For those outside the D.C. area, you can listen online at www.federalnewsradio.com.

To preview this week’s report, click here.


Headlines

GSA Aims to Raise Mileage Reimbursement in February
GovExec, January 22, 2007
Pending approval by the Office of Management and Budget, the rate at which federal employees are reimbursed for using their personal vehicles on government business will rise to the highest level ever next month.

The mileage reimbursement rate will increase from 44.5 cents to 48.5 cents per mile effective Feb. 1, according to a General Services Administration announcement Monday.

The National Treasury Employees Union, one of the largest federal labor unions, called on GSA earlier this month to "end internal delays and approve an increase." In a November letter to NTEU President Colleen Kelley, GSA Administrator Lurita Doan said a rule would be published in the Federal Register no later than Jan. 1 regarding the mileage rate.

To read the complete story, click here or visit <http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=35921&dcn=todaysnews>.


New on NTEU.org

Get the 'Status' on NTEU Legal Fights for Federal Employees
The new edition of Status Call, available now on NTEU.org, offers updates on legal battles NTEU has waged on behalf of employees at the IRS, CBP and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Get the latest on NTEU's continuing challenge to the illegal educational requirements for IRS Revenue Agents, as well as the union's success in obtaining higher overtime pay for SEC paralegals. CBP employees can read updates on sixth-day training payments and NTEU's efforts to secure an investigation into the agency's Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray exercises. To read Status Call, click here or visit <www.nteu.org/UnionOffice/StatusCall/>.