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Washington, D.C. -- The head of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said today the 60th anniversary year of his union showed wide?ranging, significant accomplishments in the courts, in Congress and in the federal workplace.

NTEU members "are rightly proud of what they've accomplished in 1998," said union president Robert M. Tobias, including playing key roles in the most significant restructuring of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in nearly half?a?century.

He said the union's successes in 1998 "show what we have been saying all along??that the answers to problems in providing governmental services are in the minds, experiences and dedication of federal employees." NTEU is the largest independent federal sector union, representing more than 155,000 employees in 20 agencies and departments.

"The successes of our 60' anniversary year," especially in federal sector labor-management partnership efforts, "gives us good momentum to carry on efforts on behalf of federal employees everywhere," Tobias said.

Among other NTEU achievements during the year, Tobias pointed to the successful effort to encourage President Clinton to increase his proposed 1999 federal pay increase and to promise a still higher raise for the year 2000, as well as the union's successful challenge to the Line Item Veto, which allowed federal employees to decide which retirement system was best for them.

Within the IRS, the voices of NTEU members at all levels have been heard in a variety of forums, both formal and informal, as the agency undergoes a massive restructuring of its revenue?collection and education mission with an emphasis on customer service.

Tobias noted that this effort is ongoing, including having NTEU members continue their work into the new year on joint Phase II Design Teams, working with IRS management to ' examine and recommend changes not just in agency systems and processes, but in its culture too.

The union's efforts this year resulted in creation of a new job opportunity in IRS customer service, with higher pay and an agency commitment to improved training in handling taxpayer issues.

The NTEU leader said the work with the IRS as well as the highly?successful joint drug interdiction program with the Customs Service, known as Operation Brass Ring, helps emphasize the importance of labor?management partnership in the federal sector. "Every agency in government can learn from what we accomplished with partnership in 1998," Tobias said.

He also pointed to the successful conclusion of national contract negotiations with the IRS, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Bureau of Public Debt as key accomplishments during the year.

In addition to its challenge to the Line Item Veto, NTEU was active in the courts during 1998, arguing at the Supreme Court in November in favor of union?initiated midterm bargaining rights; supporting a winning federal appeals court fight over First Amendment rights; and bringing to a successful conclusion a 15?year fight for appropriate raises for federal special rate employees.