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Washington, D.C.—The head of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees today called on hundreds of union leaders from across the country to carry the message to Capitol Hill that drastic budget cuts will hurt the most vulnerable citizens and dampen the economic recovery—while a government shutdown would hurt not only every American, it would imperil the nation’s future as well.

“The cuts will diminish services for all Americans and harm communities across the country,” President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) told nearly 400 NTEU chapter leaders from every part of the country and from a wide range of federal agencies.

These leaders are gathered in Washington for the start of NTEU’s annual three-day legislative conference with a theme of “Proud to Work for America.”

Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) joined President Kelley in addressing the conference opening session. He urged the NTEU members to “remind our fellow citizens that taking care of our neighbors, which is what we do, is an American value,” adding that, working in government, “our mission is a noble one.”

The second-term Virginia Democrat reviewed some of the deep cuts of the Republican-advanced continuing resolution approved by the House last week. Connolly called the continuing resolution “a radical document” and said of the Republican House majority: “These people understand the cost of everything, and the value of nothing.”

President Kelley announced the union’s 2011 legislative agenda, which includes a focus on federal pay and potential furloughs; agency funding and contracting out; the need for statutory collective bargaining rights for employees of the Transportation Security Administration; federal employee health insurance issues; matters impacting federal retirees; and the impact of financial regulatory reform. NTEU represents thousands of employees in financial regulatory agencies.

Referring to the House-passed measure that cuts $100 billion from the president’s budget for the remaining seven months of this fiscal year, the NTEU leader underscored the dangers by pointing to specific problems that would result from a lack of sufficient resources.

Kelley said “These severe and senseless budget cuts will mean fewer inspections of food, drugs and medical devices, dire threats to our clean air and water, less assistance for people with disabilities and mental illness, risks to our 401(k) plans, threats to our border security and our transportation security, slower processing of tax refunds and cuts to our school lunch programs.”

NTEU has long been the leader in pressing Congress to provide adequate funding for federal agencies.

On the matter of a potential shutdown and the continuing political attacks on all public employees—local, state and federal, as epitomized by the effort to strip collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin state employees—President Kelley urged NTEU chapter leaders to stand up for those who serve America by choosing public service.

“You must carry the message that federal employees understand the difficult times the nation faces and we are willing to make sacrifices, but a slash-and-burn approach to budgeting, layoffs and furloughs will lead to even greater economic turmoil,” she told conference attendees.

The NTEU leader added: “NTEU is grateful to all of you who serve our country. You are proud to work for America, and NTEU is so proud of the work that you do. Together, we can turn this anti-government tide and change the course of our country. We do not shrink from this responsibility. We welcome it.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.