Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C.—President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) outlined a determined stand against administration plans to contract out a growing number of federal jobs when she told cheering union members at a Capitol Hill rally that “our goal must be to eliminate arbitrary goals” set by the White House of moving government jobs to the private sector.

A longtime, vocal opponent of government contracting practices, Kelley led a rally of some 200 NTEU members on the Capitol grounds in support of the Truthfulness, Responsibility and Accountability in Contracting (TRAC) Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) that would provide information on the extent, cost and quality of contractor work—just as is available on the work of federal employees.

Just prior to the rally, Kelley had taken part in a hearing on contracting out before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, an event she described to the crowd of sign-carrying, chanting union members as “one of the best hearings ever on this issue.”

President Kelley was firm in her remarks, telling the rally that NTEU is “not going to stand idly by while this or any other administration contracts out our jobs.” She said that the American public, particularly in the wake of the events of last September 11, sees federal employees “as patriots, who are not to be taken for granted any more.”

The administration has ordered federal departments and agencies to open up 15 percent of potentially commercial jobs to the private sector by fiscal 2003; and has proposed plans that would lead to opening up fifty percent—more that 425,000—of jobs claimed to be potentially commercial. Kelley said this “dangerous” step is being taken without regard to the “unique character” of the services provided by federal employees.

She was joined at the rally by a number of members of Congress, including Reps. Wynn, Rob Andrews (D-NJ), David Bonior (D-MI), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Connie Morella (R-MD), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD).

All are strong supporters of federal employees on a wide range of issues, including contracting out. Rep. Wynn, whose legislation has attracted more than 200 co-sponsors, referred to recent disclosures of what the White House has called a “shadow” government in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and said that private contractors performing government work “make up another kind of shadow government. He added: “Contracting happens because agencies aren’t allowed to hire enough people,”

The TRAC Act, he said, “benefits all taxpayers” by ensuring that both government and the public understand the full cost and impact of contracting.

Among the speakers, Rep. Hoyer said “it is easy for the private sector to show short-term profits” on government contracts by paying lower wages and offering inadequate benefits, “but they don’t want to compete over the long-term” with federal employees. He urged rally participants “not to rest” in fighting the issue. “We must do it for America,” he said.

President Kelley emphasized that “no one does the work of the federal government better than federal employees,” and she said the union would continue to push for passage of the TRAC Act, for Congress to reject contracting out quotas and for an end to the contracting of federal jobs.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 25 agencies and departments.