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Washington, D.C.—In light of the dramatic increase in security concerns around the nation, including the threat of contracting anthrax, the leader of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has asked the federal government’s chief personnel officer for information about measures the government is taking to protect members of the federal workforce.

In a letter to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles James, NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley sought information on a number of issues, including whether there is a government wide policy on accepting mail, since some agencies are accepting mail and others are not; what efforts are being undertaken to ensure that mail is not contaminated, and whether or not all federal facilities, particularly those that handle large volumes of mail, will be tested to ensure they are safe.

Kelley also said NTEU believes “it is imperative” that federal employees be provided with the necessary education, information and protective equipment, including gloves and masks for those handling mail, that they need “to help limit health risks.” In addition, she urged that large federal facilities have “on-site capability” to administer appropriate medical tests and to disburse medicine, if warranted.

The NTEU leader called the attention of Director James to the fact that many NTEU members work in federal facilities where they “regularly receive suspicious or dangerous articles,” including Internal Revenue

Service Centers, which are tax-processing locations employing thousands of workers.

She wrote: “I am concerned that this type of mail will increase…(and) I would like to be able to reassure those employees who deal with such disturbing mailings that everything possible will be done to protect them, and that any perpetrators will be pursued, prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.” Among those represented by NTEU are some 97,000 IRS employees.

Kelley said that during these very difficult times, “I know that federal employees are committed to doing their jobs to the best of their abilities despite the new challenges we all face,” adding that she “would be pleased to work with you and any other members of this administration” to help ensure the safety of federal workers.