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Washington—Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), who has long experience in federal workplace issues, told a gathering of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) that it is “a new day for federal employees,” and that in the new administration, “unions are important partners toward ensuring worker insights are considered.”

Akaka, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, spoke at the closing luncheon of the annual Legislative Conference and declared his staunch support for several of NTEU’s priority legislative issues for 2009. These include pay parity between federal civilian and military personnel; adequate staffing for federal agencies; limits on the contracting out of federal jobs; an end to pay-for-performance personnel systems; full collective bargaining rights and whistleblower protections for federal employees, particularly those in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA); as well as a return to labor-management partnerships.

“No one stands up for the rights and benefits of federal employees like Sen. Akaka does,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley, who praised the senator as a “longtime champion of the federal worker,” and added that few in Congress can claim his overall track record of success in fighting for the issues that federal workers care about. “He is a clear leader in Congress regarding the issues that federal employees care about,” she said.

Sen. Akaka called on the hundreds of assembled NTEU members to ride the cresting wave of opportunity that a new, more employee-friendly administration has brought to the federal workplace. “Government functions best when all its members work together,” he said.

During the luncheon, Sen. Akaka recounted his support for recent successful NTEU legislative initiatives, including the long-sought enhanced law enforcement officer retirement benefit for Customs and Border Protection Officers and prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from using any appropriated funding to implement a regressive pay-for-performance personnel system for rank-and-file employees.

The senator expressed disappointment that other NTEU’s priority legislative issues were not acted upon during the last Congress, but promised to continue his full-throated support of federal employees and the critical role they play in the government.

“There is no doubt that skilled, well-trained and dedicated federal employees are essential to the success of the federal government,” Akaka said. “It is impossible for government to function without their hard work.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.