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Washington, D.C.—Legislation announced by Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) seeking to improve the ability of the federal government to attract and keep skilled workers is of significant interest to the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley.

Announced during a press conference to launch the Partnership for Public Service, which is an organization focused on revitalizing and drawing attention to federal government service, the legislation would take important steps to adequately train workers and allow employees to receive tax-free student loan repayments.

However, while applauding Sen. Voinovich’s continuing focus on the human capital crisis, Kelley said that the legislation lacks a key element—sufficient resources—to turn these goals into reality. Agencies don’t have the money either to assist employees with student loan repayments or to train them adequately, she said, and the legislative proposal does not address this underlying problem.

“Adequate agency funding is essential if we are going to talk seriously about effectively using recruitment and retention initiatives and to ensure that employees are properly trained,” she said.

The NTEU leader also was critical of the provision contained in the proposed legislation that would permit some senior level federal government hires to immediately accrue eight hours of leave each pay period.

Under current law, she noted, federal employees must work for the government for 15 years before they begin accruing eight hours of leave per pay period.

“If it makes sense to change the federal leave system,” she said, “then it makes sense to change it for everyone.”

Kelley expressed her support for a number of other views offered at the launching of the Partnership, including that expressed by several participants that competitive pay with the private sector remains the number one obstacle to attracting and keeping skilled employees.

Results from a Hart-Teeter national survey conducted on behalf of the Partnership and the Council for Excellence in Government, announced at the press conference, showed that nine-in-ten (89 percent) of those surveyed said that offering salaries that are more competitive with those paid by the private sector would be effective in recruiting workers for federal jobs.

Identifying other key issues, Kelley, a member of the Partnership’s Advisory Board of Governors, said that adequate agency funding, an end to the rush to contract out federal jobs to the private sector, and improved investments in training and resources are all essential.

The union leader said that making the government the employer of choice also requires an end to the wholesale contracting out of federal government programs and services.

Kelley said NTEU supports legislation that would put a moratorium on contracting out until the American public can be certain of savings and accountability. At the Partnership press conference, Brookings Institution scholar Paul Light called for “an immediate moratorium” on federal contracting out, saying, “We don’t have a clue what we’re doing in this area.” NTEU represents some 150,000 employees in 25 agencies and departments.