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The Homeland Security debate has resulted in the Administration and some members of Congress making inaccurate statements at public events and to the media. There have been several unwarranted attacks on the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and the some 12,000 U. S. Customs inspectors and canine enforcement officers represented by NTEU.

The attached background fact sheets demonstrate that these attacks are unfounded and patently false.

The allegations include:

NTEU has attempted to block the use of radiation detectors by Customs inspectors and canine enforcement officers. (See Fact Sheet #1 -- “BACKGROUND ON USE OF RADIATION DETECTORS AT CUSTOMS”)

NTEU objected to the administration’s color coded threat alert system. (See Fact Sheet #2 – “BACKGROUND ON CUSTOMS ALERTS DIRECTIVE”)

NTEU is preventing the Customs Service from getting emergency contact information for employees. (See Fact Sheet #3 – “BACKGROUND ON CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES’ CONTACT INFORMATION”)

NTEU is “requiring” Customs inspectors to be chosen by seniority for sensitive jobs overseas. (See Fact Sheet #4 – “BACKGROUND ON OVERSEAS TRANSFERS OF CUSTOMS INSPECTORS.)

NTEU Fact Sheet #1

BACKGROUND ON USE OF RADIATION DETECTORS AT CUSTOMS

1.

Customs notified NTEU last December that they intended to phase in over a 4 to 6 month period the mandatory wearing of these devices by all Customs inspectors, after they were distributed to all affected employees. To date, there are Customs inspectors and canine enforcement officers who are not equipped with the detectors.

2.

Due to concerns regarding training, NTEU initially proposed that the policy continue on a voluntary basis as had been the case for 3 years.

3.

Once NTEU received information related to training concerns. NTEU National President Colleen M. Kelley notified Customs that NTEU did not have a problem with the policy.

4.

AT NO TIME DID NTEU OR ITS MEMBERS REFUSE TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY, NOR WOULD IT HAVE BEEN LEGAL UNDER CURRENT LAW TO DO SO.

5.

The policy went into effect as proposed by Customs with no delay related to any NTEU action.

6.

All NTEU members who have access to these devices have been and are today wearing them.

NTEU Fact Sheet #2

BACKGROUND ON CUSTOMS ALERTS DIRECTIVE

1.

On August 20, 2002 the Customs Service issued a directive dealing with Customs procedures that would be followed during different “alert levels.”

2.

Under section 7116 of Title 5, Customs has a duty to notify the unions of represented employees of changes in working conditions and afford the union the opportunity to bargain over the impact and implementation of the agency decision.

3.

On September 18, 2002 NTEU filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Customs because Customs had provided no notice of the changes. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COLOR CODED THREAT ALERT SYSTEM DEVISED BY GOVERNOR RIDGE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT.

4.

The directive has been in effect and followed by NTEU represented employees since its issuance.

5.

The ULP does not ask, nor does the law allow a union, to prevent the implementation of the directive.

6.

Unfortunately, since President Bush rescinded Executive Order 12871 calling for labor-management partnerships in the federal government, we have little other option than to follow the formal procedures in order to get some agencies to merely provide us with information that they are required to provide.

7.

In this instance, the ULP will have virtually no impact on Customs other than pointing out to them that they are not following the law and hopefully prodding them to do so.

NTEU Fact Sheet #3

BACKGROUND ON CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES’CONTACT INFORMATION

1.

In 1999, the Customs Service proposed to include every employee’s home address and home telephone number in a nationwide database, accessible to whomever Customs determined should have it.

2.

Employees raised privacy concerns in connection with the nationwide database, and pointed out that the information already had been made available by Customs employees to their local manager.

3.

Negotiations were undertaken on the matter. Customs implemented the system and NTEU members complied with it.

4.

Post-September 11, NTEU dropped its objections.

NTEU Fact Sheet #4

OVERSEAS TRANSFERS OF CUSTOMS INSPECTORS

1.

Customs recently began the “Container Security Initiative” to deploy Customs inspectors overseas to target and screen cargo headed to the United States.

2.

The Customs Service did not provide notification to NTEU in advance of this overseas deployment.

3.

NTEU made a request to be briefed and to negotiate the impact and implementation of the initiative, as required by law.

4.

Customs informed NTEU that they had “no obligation to bargain.”

5.

Contrary to public statements, NTEU is not currently negotiating with the Customs Service on this issue and no proposals were ever made on this issue by NTEU.