“I clicked on the TV to catch some of the news, and there was the senator I had just met with!” said Jack Hartley (Chapter 12, IRS Alabama), first-time Legislative Conference attendee, making a difference in Washington.
Concerned about attacks on federal employees, agency missions and declining morale Hartley witnessed at his IRS post in Mobile, Ala., he knew this was the year to join hundreds of his fellow NTEU members in Washington, D.C. at the 2018 Legislative Conference. But he had no idea how impactful the trip would be.
“I couldn’t believe that I was actually getting to meet with these lawmakers. Expressing as a citizen the real struggles the constant CR’s [continuing resolutions] place on our ability to do our job really mattered to me. And being on the heels of another shutdown, I could really drive home how this affects me and my family,” he said.
Over Hartley’s 13 years as an IRS revenue agent, there’s been a drastic shift. Staffing shortages and a lack of hiring have made serving taxpayers harder than ever. Beyond issues at his agency, Hartley felt like meeting members from across the country brought a face to what all federal employees are dealing with in their workplaces. Pressing NTEU’s 2018 priority issues—fair pay, adequate agency funding, protecting employee rights, and achieving agency missions—was easier after talking with other members about their struggles, he said.
“I have to be honest, morale is lower than ever. The lack of hiring means we’ve had to close down two offices, and that’s farther that the taxpayers’ have to go to get help. It’s so important folks here in Washington know that we’re hurting, but ultimately, it’s taxpayers taking the biggest hit,” Hartley explained.
Couldn’t make the conference? There’s still plenty of ways you can make a difference. Visit NTEU’s Legislative Action Center to learn how you can make your voice heard.