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Washington, D.C.—Hundreds of federal employees from around the country today kicked off the National Treasury Employees Union’s (NTEU) 2016 Legislative Conference urging Congress to give federal agencies the resources they need to fulfill their missions and stop the ongoing threats to their pay, benefits and collective bargaining rights.

The three-day event’s theme, “Working for a Better Future,” serves as a clarion call for NTEU delegates, who will visit members of Congress to demand action on NTEU’s legislative priorities.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House Democratic Whip, and NTEU National President Tony Reardon addressed the delegates during the opening session this morning.

“We need the best civilian workforce possible, which requires that we invest in recruiting and retaining the most talented employees,” Hoyer said.

Federal employees constitute the world’s best civil service but Congress too often fails to show them the respect and appreciation they deserve. That turns off older federal employees and discourages young people from applying for federal jobs, Hoyer said.

“When they see us shutting down the government, and they see pay freezes, pensions undermined and federal employee health benefits not as generous as they could be … what do you think young people think? They think, ‘I don’t want to work for that employer. That employer doesn’t treat their people well,’” Hoyer said.

President Reardon recounted the many ways that federal employees protect and aid our nation and encouraged the conference attendees to tell their stories to Congress. He detailed how proposals to slash the federal workforce, take away employee workplace rights and starve their agencies, would not just hurt employees, but the government’s ability to serve its citizens.

“Because of what you do every day, every American has a better future,” the NTEU leader said. “But today, too many federal employees, like many middle-class Americans, are working harder than ever but are not able to make ends meet.”

In January, NTEU’s Legislative Advisory Council set the union’s agenda for the rest of this year. The more than 350 NTEU members attending the legislative conference this week will advocate for the union’s five goals: Protecting federal retirement from egregious attacks, seeking adequate funding for agencies in fiscal year (FY) 2017, fighting for a fair and meaningful federal pay raise, safeguarding federal health benefits and beating back efforts to eliminate workplace rights and weaken federal unions.

NTEU members are proud of the work they do on behalf of their country, but not everyone in Congress appreciates the sacrifices made by the federal workforce, President Reardon said. “We can change that dynamic,” Reardon said.

The NTEU leader president said, “We’re working for a better future, not just for ourselves, but for the citizens of this great country you serve so diligently each day. That is why you signed up for federal service.”

If federal employees don’t speak up, some in Congress may never understand, much less appreciate, the work they do or treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve, Reardon said.

“Between pay cuts and increased retirement contributions, federal workers have contributed more than $182 billion towards budget savings,” he said. “NTEU has blocked many attempts to do even more damage, but the pressure is relentless and that is why we must raise our voices together in unyielding resistance to actions that would harm the federal workforce.”

NTEU is the nation’s largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.