Mission Statement

"Our mission is to organize federal employees to work together to ensure that every federal employee is treated with dignity and respect".

Friday, December 29, 2006

Airport News: French Airline to Operate Out of EWR

French all-business-class airline L'Avion has won approval from U.S. transportation officials to begin flying between Newark Liberty International Airport and Orly Airport, outside Paris.

The airline company, which recently changed its name from Elysair, intends to operate Boeing 757-200s configured for 100-seat business-class-only service.

Report: CBPOs Qualify for Law Enforcement Officer Status

Washington, D.C.— Only a single federal operation employs more law enforcement officers than does the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and yet these more than 17,000 dedicated border security employees continue to be denied the formal designation of federal law enforcement officer (LEO) and the retirement benefits that come with it.

“This continuing denial of LEO status for CBP Officers is not only wrong, it is indefensible,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents CBP employees.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to the House Judiciary Committee identifies 17,168 CBP employees who qualify for LEO status under the GAO definition. According to GAO, law enforcement officers are individuals who are authorized as part of their work to perform any of four specific law enforcement functions: conduct criminal investigations, execute search warrants, make arrests or carry firearms.

Read the full report here

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Employee Health: OPM Extends Open Season

Employees and retirees have one last chance to enroll in high-deductible health plans for next year.

Though the open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) officially ended Dec. 11, the Office of Personnel Management has extended the enrollment period through midnight Dec. 31 for employees and retirees interested in switching to high-deductible health plans.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Seaport News: Port Needs Better Security

A task force established by Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia today announced recommendations to greatly enhance security at the nation’s 361 seaports, including the Port of New York and New Jersey, highlighting the need for mandatory cargo security standards, the appointment of a national official in charge of port security issues, and a port user fee to help offset escalating port security expenses.

Read the full story here.

Airport News: EWR Sets Passenger Record

More people traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport in 2006 than ever before, officials said Monday.

More than 34.2 million people flew into or out of Newark as of last weekend. The airport's previous record was set in 2000, when it saw 34.19 million travelers pass through its gates.

Officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said more growth is expected. The authority projects more than 36 million passengers next year and more than 40 million annual passengers by 2010.

Read the full story here.

Happy Holidays


Chapter 161 wishes everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Union News: Your January Pay Raise

On Dec. 21, the president issued an executive order on federal pay which finalizes the pay tables for all the locality areas. Unfortunately, the executive order keeps in place the 2.2 percent average raise the administration had sought all year long. The pay tables reflect the actual raises that will go into effect in January. NTEU intends to revisit the issue with Congress in the new year but the possibility that a year-long continuing resolution will be passed by Congress, funding the government for the rest of the fiscal year, limits our opportunity to increase the raise.

NTEU will also begin working with Congress on a fair federal raise for 2008. The draft general schedule and locality pay tables that were previously released by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are now the final pay tables for 2007.