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Washington, D.C.-- By an overwhelming vote, more than 1,200 tax lawyers and support personnel in nationwide field offices of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Office of Chief Counsel have voted to be represented by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

The vote, in a mail election supervised by the Federal Labor Relations Authority, was 648 to 96 in favor of NTEU representation. NTEU President Robert M. Tobias said he is "gratified by the confidence shown" in the union by the agency's. District Counsel employees. NTEU already represents Office of Chief Counsel employees at IRS headquarters in Washington. The attorneys in these offices litigate tax cases on behalf of the government.

District Counsel employees "saw that the best way to have their voices heard on critical issues affecting them as work proceeds under the IRS Reform and Restructuring Act is to speak collectively through NTEU," Tobias said. "I believe the size of the affirmative vote for NTEU reflects their understanding of NTEU as an effective voice in the workplace."

One of the activists in the organizing drive, Steve Lanacone, an attorney in the Newark, NJ, field office where there was considerable interest going back to beginning of the effort last summer, said that arbitrary decisions by regional and district counsel helped fuel the successful campaign.

"Basically, we had no one talking for us," Ianacone said, and there were "bosses who were making life difficult" for people, in some cases by failing to implement headquarters directives on such matters as flexiplace.

In one instance, the Newark attorney said, part?time employees who had worked threeday?a?week schedules for many years were told they would have to work four days each week immediately, without regard to the need to change plans for day care and other family responsibilities. "We needed to be empowered," Ianacone said of the successful organizing drive.