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Washington, D.C.—As the Senate confirmation process moves forward for Tom Ridge to be secretary of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the leader of the union representing thousands of employees to be transferred to the new department said her intention is to ensure the secretary-designate is true to his word and will work in a collaborative manner with employees and their collective bargaining representatives.

President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) expressed that view as the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously approved the nomination of secretary-designate Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania, and sent it to the full Senate for consideration.

“During the lengthy debate concerning establishment of this new department,” President Kelley said, “Governor Ridge repeatedly identified the need to work in a collaborative atmosphere not only with the men and women who will be in the front lines of defending the nation’s borders, but with their chosen representatives. NTEU intends to make that a reality.” It’s the only way the new department can be a success, she said.

The NTEU leader said it is imperative that employee representatives “be fully involved in the planning, development and implementation of any new human resource management system” for homeland security employees. Under the legislation creating the DHS, Ridge and the head of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will have considerable discretion in developing such a system.

NTEU represents some 12,000 employees of the Customs Service, who will be among the 177,000 federal employees from 22 agencies and departments who will make up the four major operating divisions of the DHS.

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