NTEU/IRS Partnership Honored with Sturdivant Award

Press Release November 15, 2000

Washington, D.C.-The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today accepted a prestigious national award honoring the partnership between the union and the agency that resulted in the most ambitious civilian reorganization in government historyBthe modernization of the IRS.

The 2000 John N. Sturdivant National Partnership Award was accepted by NTEU National President Colleen M. Kelley and IRS Deputy Commissioner Bob Wenzel at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"This award recognizes that incredible things can be accomplished in government when employees are allowed to meaningfully contribute to workplace decisions," Kelley said. "We are proud to accept this award with the Internal Revenue Service."

The NTEU/IRS partnership undertook the modernization effort after the 1998 passage of an IRS restructuring law that called for the agency to move from the geographic structure it has used since 1952 into one in which groups of taxpayers will be serviced by organizational units devoted to their specific tax needs. For the past two years thousands of NTEU members, along with IRS representatives, worked on design teams, research teams, and joint labor-management workgroups. Their efforts affected 115,000 employees in more than 800 national and international locations.

"It is remarkable to note," Kelley said, "that all this work has occurred without any disruption to taxpayers through two tax filing seasons. Indeed, many in America were unaware that the IRS has been in the midst of such a vast undertaking. While much of the work of the IRS reorganization has been accomplished, the partnership council will continue, through a third tax filing season, to finish the reorganization while increasing service to taxpayers."

The Sturdivant Awards are sponsored by the National Partnership Council to recognize and promote outstanding partnerships throughout the executive branch. In presenting the partnership award to NTEU and the IRS, the Council noted that the success of the IRS modernization effort can be "attributed in large part to the expertise and input of front-line employees serving on cross-functional teams."

NTEU represents 98,00 employees at the IRS and collectively represents some 155,000 employees throughout the federal government.

Share: