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Washington, D.C.—The necessary first step in any successful effort to reshape the federal government has to be a full accounting of the massive and growing contractor workforce that is increasingly performing the work of the American people, the leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees said today.

President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said a proposal by Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) to cut 10 percent of all federal jobs not related to national security is “misguided and reckless.” Media reports quoted the North Carolina senator as saying that “we must get the size of our government back under control.”

While federal employees are “an easy target for that kind of rhetoric,” President Kelley said, “the much better course for taxpayers is to scrutinize federal spending on the contractor workforce—which far outstrips the cost of federal pay and benefits—and where everyone who has looked at this issue agrees substantial savings can be achieved.”

At the same time, the NTEU leader supported Sen. Edwards’ call for a tripling of security personnel at the nation’s border. She noted, however, that with respect to just the Customs Service alone, there already is

legislation—the Patriot Act—passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that calls for a tripling of Customs personnel on the U.S. northern border. NTEU represents some 12,000 Customs employees.

“The real issue is a willingness to fund these proposals—a willingness I am still waiting to see,” President Kelley said. “Without providing the money to back it up, it’s easy to say let’s take this or that step to improve national security.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents some 150,000 employees in 28 agencies and departments.