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Washington, D.C.—As implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform legislation continues to move forward, some 500 employees of the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) soon will transfer to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), where they will be represented by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). The transfer is scheduled for July 21.

Earlier this year, members of another union representing OTS headquarters employees voted to affiliate with NTEU.

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley met with OTS Headquarters employees, welcoming them in advance of the transfer date and said “NTEU looks forward to bringing you the kind of excellent workplace representation and contracts we are known for.”

Already, she said, NTEU’s work has made a difference for OTS employees, noting that NTEU pressed successfully to have the Dodd-Frank reform bill include language providing for collective bargaining over wages and benefits at the merged OTS/OCC. Talks are underway on a compensation agreement.

She noted that NTEU bargains over pay at the other financial regulatory agencies where it is the exclusive employee representative—the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission and National Credit Union Administration. Some OTS employees will move to the FDIC.

At present, NTEU represents OCC employees in five chapters; OTS headquarters employees will be represented by NTEU’s OCC headquarters chapter, and former OTS field employees will be represented by one of the regional chapters, depending on their location.

During the often-contentious debate over Dodd-Frank, NTEU worked hard and successfully to secure a variety of employee protections. For example, OTS employees being transferred to OCC will be placed in a position with the same status and no lower pay or benefits as their current positions.

Moreover, OCC may not conduct a reduction-in-force affecting any transferred employees for at least 30 months nor involuntarily transfer those employees outside their locality pay areas. NTEU also supported creation of the new Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at the OCC.

In the meeting with OTS employees, President Kelley emphasized a number of employee-friendly provisions of the NTEU contract in their new agency. These include broad protection of employee rights, enforceable through the negotiated grievance and arbitration procedure; alternative work schedules, including compressed 5/4-9 and 4-10 schedules, as well as a program known as Maxiflex schedules with credit hours; an expanded telework program, with no artificial limits on the hours an employee can telework; equal access to training opportunities and special assignments; a procedure for voluntary reassignments; and more.

“We know change is difficult, perhaps even scary,” the NTEU leader told the OTS employees. “Our job is to make that change a good one for you.”

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing more than 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.