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Washington, D.C.-The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today announced its endorsement of the presidential candidacy of Vice President A1 Gore.

In announcing the Gore endorsement, NTEU National President Colleen M. Kelley said, "Vice President Gore has been a leader on issues important to federal workers and their families. He has earned our support."

Kelley cited Gore's involvement in issues of critical importance to federal employees as the vital factor in making the endorsement.

"Working with NTEU and others, Vice President Gore developed the concept of labor-management partnerships in the federal government, significantly enlarging opportunities for workers' voices to be heard at the highest levels of management."

Kelley also cited Gore's successful efforts to derail congressional attacks on NTEU's members' collective bargaining rights and earned benefits. Kelley particularly noted Gore's involvement in family friendly workplace initiatives saying, "his hard work to make the federal government a more family friendly employer has made a real difference to the working families we represent." She particularly noted Gore's support for the Family and Medical Leave Act and subsidized child care provisions for federal workers recently enacted.

Kelley noted that without the leadership of the Clinton/Gore Administration, her union's members would still be shut out of the political process.

"After literally decades of our efforts and a veto by President Bush, federal employees were finally freed to participate in the political process when Hatch Act reform legislation was signed into law in 1993. Although it seems like a long time ago, we will never forget that Al Gore and Bill Clinton had enough faith in the integrity of federal workers to do what others had not for more than 50 years." The announced endorsement by Kelley followed a teleconference meeting with NTEU chapter leaders from around the nation. She said "the accelerated pace of the presidential primaries and of the campaigns" prompted NTEU to make its endorsement now rather than following its 2000 annual legislative conference and next National Executive Board meeting.

The NTEU National Executive Board at its recent fall meeting adopted a resolution in support of Kelley exercising her authority to endorse a presidential candidate "at the appropriate time ...taking into consideration interests directly related to federal employment."

NTEU is the nation's largest independent federal employees union, representing some 155,000 employees in 24 agencies and departments.