Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C.?Nearly a year after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reneged on an agreement to permit a union organizing vote, some 1,800 SEC employees finally will have their chance to vote in mid?summer on whether to be represented by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said that some 600 SEC employees in field offices around the country will be mailed ballots on June 13?due back to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) by July 12?and that the SEC's 1,200 Washington headquarters employees will conduct an in?person ballot box vote on July 13.

The election will be conducted by the FLRA, which is the independent body that oversees labor relations in the federal sector. FLRA is expected to tally the votes on the evening of July 13, Kelley said.

The NTEU leader expressed confidence that despite the roadblocks placed in the way of their right to vote by the SEC, the 1,800 agency employees "will choose the benefits of union representation." These employees, she said, "have been, from the beginning of this organizing campaign more than a year ago, firm in their desire and determination to be part of NTEU, and we have every confidence that desire and determination will be reflected in the vote."

Certain details still have to be worked out among the parties, she said, including ensuring that the FLRA has current and accurate address information for SEC field employees.

NTEU and SEC had reached a verbal agreement to conduct an election last September, but the agency backed out of that arrangement and sought FLRA endorsement of its demand that any organizing vote reflect multiple bargaining units rather than the single, nationwide unit to which it had initially agreed.

\After a hearing, the FLRA's regional director ruled that a nationwide unit was an appropriate one. SEC appealed that decision to the full FLRA, which upheld the regional director's order for an election with a bargaining unit that includes both headquarters and field employees.

Some 1,200 professional and non?professional employees work at SEC headquarters and another 600 are employed in five regional and four district offices around the country. NTEU is the nation's largest independent federal union, representing about 155,000 employees in 24 agencies and departments.

For more information visit the NTEU web site at www.nteu.org

For specific information regarding the SEC organizing campaign, go to http:/Avww.nteu.orv?,/SEC.html

For related press releases on the SEC campaign, see the Press Kit Section of the NTEU Web Site

NTEU, The SEC Organizing Campaign And The Federal Labor Relations Authority Key Dates:

August 10, 1999. SEC derails employee election scheduled for September 14, in the face of a July 16 verbal agreement with NTEU for that election, alleging that a nationwide bargaining unit is inappropriate.

January 7, 2000. Federal Labor Relations Authority's (FLRA) Washington Regional Director rules that a nationwide bargaining unit is appropriate, and orders an election.

February 8, 2000. More than 100 SEC employees, joined by more than 200 NTEU members from around the country, rally outside agency headquarters demanding that the SEC not appeal to the full FLRA the election order from its Regional Director and allow a prompt vote on their desire to unionize.

March 8, 2000. On the final day of the 60?day appeal period, SEC files an appeal with three?member FLRA, restating legal and factual arguments that already had been heard and rejected by FLRA's Washington Regional Director in ordering election.

May 5, 2000. FLRA unanimously rejects SEC appeal, fully supports action by the Regional Director in upholding petition for nationwide bargaining unit and calling for an election.

May 24, 2000. Election scheduled, under FLRA auspices, with mail ballots to go to employees in SEC field offices June 13, to be returned to FLRA by July 12. SEC Headquarters employees to vote in person on July 13. Vote count expected the night of July 13.