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NTEU Renews Support For FEHBP Premiums Bill The cost of federal employee health insurance has been in the news lately with the Office of Personnel Management's recent announcement of next year's premium increase. NTEU welcomed the average 2.3 percent increase—the lowest in years—but continues to strongly support legislation that would force the government to pick up more of the tab for federal employees' premiums. The bipartisan bill, H.R. 633, would increase the government’s share of premiums under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program from the current average of 72 percent to the most common industry average of 80 percent. To learn how you can help, click here or visit <http:// capwiz.com/nteu/issues/ alert/?alertid=7322841& type=CO>.

NTEU Supports Challenge to DoD Personnel Regs
NTEU on Thursday filed a legal brief in support of a coalition of federal labor unions that is challenging personnel regulations proposed for the Department of Defense (DoD). The unions’ lawsuit is similar to NTEU's successful lawsuit against DHS's MaxHR system.

In a friend-of-the court brief, NTEU argued that the labor relations board proposed by DoD as part of a new personnel system is illegal because it violates employees' statutory right to collective bargaining. NTEU filed its brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the same court that ruled in NTEU's favor blocking major aspects of DHS’ personnel regulations.

NTEU's fight against the labor relations board has implications for all federal workers as the administration continues its push to extend government-wide personnel systems similar to those proposed for DHS and DoD.

For the complete story, click here or visit <www.cbp
union.org/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=976>.

NTEU Urges Lawmakers To Boost SSA Funding
NTEU warned lawmakers that a decision by appropriators to under-fund the Social Security Administration (SSA) by some $400 million less than the administration proposed will severely harm employees and the agency.

In letters to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee, NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley expressed serious concern that budget shortfalls will force the agency to furlough employees for ten days and make other damaging cutbacks to hiring, overtime and operations.

"It cannot be overstated how counterproductive such actions would be," President Kelley wrote. "Sending employees home for ten days without pay is not only unfair to the employees, but it denies Social Security beneficiaries service regarding earned benefits."

The committee's proposed funding would also result in a sharp reduction in the number of Continuing Disability Reviews, work performed by NTEU-represented employees, from 597,000 to only 111,000.


NTEU Presses On With Fight For Stronger Whistleblower Protections
NTEU reiterated its support for legislation that would strengthen protections for federal employees who disclose government waste, fraud and abuse.

NTEU has been speaking out on the heightened need for reform of whistleblower protection laws for federal employees following the May 30 Supreme Court decision Garcetti v. Ceballos. In testimony before a House Government Reform Committee, NTEU emphasized the importance of passing S. 494, which would close loopholes in protections for employees who speak out on matters of public interest made in the course of their duties.

While Senate-House conferees last week stripped the NTEU-endorsed whistleblower provision from the final Defense Authorization bill, NTEU will continue to work diligently, both in the courts and on Capitol Hill, to protect the free speech rights of government employees.


Headlines

IG: IRS Not Doing Enough to Safeguard Taxpayers' Privacy
Federal Computer Week, October 4, 2006
The Internal Revenue Service has not done enough to protect the privacy of more than 130 million taxpayers, according to a Treasury Department Inspector General's report released Oct. 3.

The agency has conducted privacy impact assessments (PIAs) on less than half of its computer system and does not adequately monitor its own application of privacy laws, according to the report from the Treasury IG For Tax Administration.

National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said in a statement that the report emphasizes her belief that the IRS should not turn over taxpayer records to private collection agencies.

“The IRS should be required to get its own house in order and not only meet, but exceed, the privacy standards," she said. "Instead, the IRS is outsourcing the sensitive and private financial information of American taxpayers to private debt collectors, increasing the risk of security breaches exponentially.”

For the complete story, click here or visit <http://fcw.com/article96322-10-04-06-Web>.


New on NTEU.org

Log on For the Latest on NTEU's IRS Contract Negotiations
The IRS contract has expired, your rights have not.

NTEU members can visit the members only page of NTEU's web site for updated information on the union's bargaining over a new contract for IRS employees. Since the national NTEU-IRS contract expired June 30, NTEU has been working hard to ensure that employees' rights and benefits remain just as enforceable as before the contract was terminated.

To learn more about these efforts, log into NTEU's web site and visit www.nteu.org/
Members. When you log into the web site, you will be directed to the members only page. There you will find a link for NTEU's IRS contract page.