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Washington, D.C.—In a letter offering congratulations to newly-confirmed Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles James, the leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal workers sought a meeting at the new director’s “earliest convenience” to discuss “the concerns facing today’s federal workforce.”

President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) told Director James that NTEU “looks forward to working closely with you” in coming months on a variety of issues.

NTEU has been a leading advocate of continued military-civilian pay parity, a position with wide support in Congress but not reflected in administration budget proposals for 2002. In addition, Kelley has identified the pressing need for more affordable health care for federal workers as another priority issue, along with the importance of making permanent and improving the current child care tuition assistance program and expanding a variety of family-friendly policies and benefits.

“These are critically important steps,” Kelley said, “if we are to help make the government a competitive employer—particularly having a pay scale that is comparable with the private sector.” The NTEU leader noted that Director James takes charge of the federal civil service at a time when the General Accounting Office (GAO) has placed the operation of the federal government on its “high-risk” list even as projections call for as many as 53 percent of federal workers to qualify for early or regular retirement over the next few years.

“These matters will occupy not only the time and attention of Director James,” Kelley said, “but, given the important role of government services in our lives, they should concern every American.”

OPM plays a lead role not just in administering federal personnel policies, but in helping formulate those policies as well. NTEU represents some 150,000 employees in 25 agencies and departments.