tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11567413104231939222024-03-12T18:09:49.914-05:00NTEU Chapter 161 ▪ Newark New JerseyRepresenting US Customs and Border Protection Employeesnteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-39407532689708426162007-02-02T18:37:00.000-05:002007-02-02T18:40:29.772-05:00Lawmakers Target Newark Airport<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJE52KVknlTNjltIL4-AgfBdxmqkAnj-cycbdcbDEPYYEMHnvIRXnU9rhHJ9nwgHC0ay9DY0dEAX1H28JdfeIO2wIwk1fr87X9K_uqATtGSYj9t5ccF832Nyuatfs56ki2BsKyles7Eub7/s200/airtransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5027085471529999682" /></a>The heads of two powerful House committees yesterday asked federal aviation officials to explain relentless security breakdowns at Newark Liberty International Airport, saying Newark's lapses suggest deeper national problems. <br /><br />In a letter to Edmund "Kip" Hawley, director of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, the lawmakers said they "believe the problems raised in Newark are illustrative of some significant areas of dysfunction at TSA that undermine aviation security." <br /><br />Read the full NJ Star Ledger story <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1170395319132690.xml&coll=1">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-44814262804904717022007-02-01T17:23:00.000-05:002007-02-01T17:26:16.210-05:00Merchant Ship Rescues 14 Sailors<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglK2oDenBO44zNA8ZBjIbPVQ8mny3OF4sDvy2oVSXTl3_Di3HS9J0w2xdsGB-53s7IW1z9N1yWpflU1Kr2KgsKMFMmchfKUKkn_J73F5smoNAYzaaYg_15wPSq431u6LYlLSc2HVLLjQcL/s200/watertransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026695363945471282" /></a>Fourteen Senegal nationals arrived in Brooklyn today aboard a merchant ship after being plucked from their 60-foot catamaran about 800 miles east of Cape Cod, Mass., Saturday afternoon. All 14 rescued, reportedly in good physical condition, were placed in the care of Newark U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.<br /><br />Read the full Military.com story <a href="http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,123811,00.html">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-51141954792995365432007-01-25T08:08:00.000-05:002007-01-25T08:11:38.411-05:00Newark CBP Returns Stolen Artifacts to Pakistan<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuflcYkUnHfffoN_sT1TcjSt2Kc7oKBA8ZIgazdzOx9AJPG11T-nvee7ZuUQL8ehL_k0D29xkruSfi0nXbh-AYwO_-M736uT7jtWQfaYWTc_mW_Y_v6P6XU5ICp8x5H9mLskt7-bFXNkP0/s200/watertransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023954832169324018" /></a>Customs and immigration officials have returned several ancient artifacts to the government of Pakistan nearly a year and a half after they were discovered at Port Newark.<br /><br />Experts determined that the artifacts, one of which dated to the second century BC, were stolen from a site in northern Pakistan.<br /><br />They arrived in Newark in Sept 2005 in two shipments in which the shipper had misrepresented the country of origin, officials said on Tuesday.<br /><br />The person to whom the shipments were addressed in the US did not pick them up and has not been detained, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Michael Gilhooly. <br /><br />Customs officials are cooperating with Pakistani officials investigating the thefts. The artifacts were shipped from the United Arab Emirates and declared as decorative items. A routine search of the containers was conducted to make sure the items matched what was on the shipping manifest, Gilhooly said.<br /><br />Among the items recovered was a rare cup from the second century BC and a statue of a starving Buddha that is one of two ever found, officials said.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-17853438265261616732007-01-24T21:16:00.000-05:002007-01-24T21:20:46.815-05:00N.Y. Port Authority to Buy Stewart Airport<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgtul_PnOnzMbdXxyfvSpVB-eX6ddUnNLmc_abCTPR5yJnN85WOUrehgML3dnuva-uljhgOIEEes8hV8dHkMqzhnjzgjC-bkpLQ2NxCvLpkyRZBmv34MD1GJ-ZfTYSw52-g_3sPJRxvl1/s200/airtransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023786929012821474" /></a>The New York area`s airport operator will vote to buy the lease to operate Stewart International Airport north of the city, a report said Wednesday night.<br /><br />The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey`s board will vote Thursday to buy the lease from Britain`s National Express Corp. for $78.5 million, the Mid-Hudson News Service reported.<br /><br />The Port Authority -- which operates Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International airports -- expects to close on the lease purchase by October.<br /><br />The purchase is intended to relieve air traffic and airport overcrowding in the New York metropolitan area.<br /><br />New York state has legislation to permit the transaction. New Jersey would have to adopt similar legislation, which is not expected to be an issue, the news service said.<br /><br />The Port Authority earlier set aside $150 million to develop a fourth passenger airport to serve the New York metropolitan region, and singled out Stewart -- 55 miles north of New York City in Newburgh, N.Y. -- as the fourth airport`s most likely site.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-37729371784323312692007-01-23T09:20:00.000-05:002007-01-23T09:23:17.541-05:00Area Ports Putting More Cargo on Trains<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgpDxXISNAE1MtBoR0TNWZoJJ-JXSi-kZ8aU9thEa6cURCriinenKlBLr_UAZWuwWsdWgIwI5tl4fnXGXVBjTYOxkI66JwK8xl6wbjxUT7e1Yt_hFZGrZ0iAsB6ZAY_jJcZcC12GG6Gve/s200/watertransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023231147359817170" /></a>Anyone sandwiched between two trucks in bumper-to-bumper traffic on northern New Jersey highways might find this hard to believe. <br /><br />But a growing number of cargo containers from Port Newark and Port Elizabeth are heading out from the docks on trains instead of on trucks, according to statistics released yesterday. <br /><br />Under the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's ExpressRail program, freight trains handled 338,882 cargo containers from the ports last year, a 11.8 percent increase. <br /><br />Read the full NJ Star-Ledger story <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1169535085221410.xml&coll=1">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-15610878276000775362007-01-22T18:53:00.000-05:002007-01-23T09:24:09.959-05:00Canadians Acquire Global<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxwPgIAA-iKyh3YpZPukZR8TwCJR6Snz4mA_qLnGImJaYZQyjLn0o4GWRKgoBFWvysSZtl-BHDr7uAK771-0lV3fjr1jneqBaMlJKFeI1PFgTYS0hZBHwACk0yueXqflx1g3ItGOCeBhQ/s200/watertransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023007521297616322" /></a>The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan has bought Global Terminal & Container Systems, Inc., at Port Jersey Boulevard, of Jersey City and Bayonne, along with the New York Container Terminal (formerly known as Howland Hook) in Staten Island and two marine container terminals in Vancouver for $2.4 billion. <br /><br />Read the full NJ Star-Ledger story <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1169276503145430.xml&coll=3">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-14048164797263276082007-01-19T16:23:00.000-05:002007-01-23T09:24:50.047-05:00Battle of Red Hook Pivots On Cargo and Cruise Ships<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7Axsx5tjQc90uDmyqDTpXqWhU2xzdcHzB0zgYfdcjUoXA1LU87JApgRY-R3slqnW6Xguc9u6kGhLR2U5b9bhkG7eJgSU71ls0HbGDqffJ22FMmPPyvfp-DVGMWvuLioHUCYBBNMbLOan/s200/watertransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021856024118929826" /></a>Just a couple of years ago, the container port in Red Hook, Brooklyn, looked doomed. <br /><br />It was doing less than 1 percent of the Port Authority’s business. Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff wanted to replace its orange cranes with cruise ships. And real-estate developers were gnawing at the edges, trying to convert onetime warehouses into market-rate condos with splendid views.<br /><br />But fierce reactions from neighbors and politicians who want to hold tightly to the “working waterfront” of Red Hook’s storied past spurred the city’s Economic Development Corporation to temper this condos-and-cruise-ship formula.<br /><br />Read the full NY Observer story <a href="http://www.observer.com/20070122/20070122_Matthew_Schuerman_finance_financialpress.asp">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-11806146669254969022007-01-19T16:20:00.000-05:002007-01-19T16:21:04.377-05:00Port Authority: AirTrain Has Record Year<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4uaWIsK0GzY5P__vHP2wx5q_4-VEO3OZfQrs4I1GavYjAAa66J_oXIea-KWtSJ2lk4IwH2PV6ny8UxlI20lSmfJS1-vXBpui1w9MMcvKXp-mtW5ItoiS3dMUcaJueaJMWL96GBLn_pNE/s200/airtransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021854611074689426" /></a>The Port Authority says four million people rode the AirTrain to the airport last year, an increase of 15 percent from 2005. <br /><br />The AirTrain at Newark Liberty Airport also had the busiest year in its short history, taking on eight percent more passengers than in 2005nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-59344965059693712632007-01-19T16:12:00.000-05:002007-01-19T16:30:43.059-05:00NTEU Closer to Representing Customs and Border Workers<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiHSFxiEIhDkcMQjHXcekiDnFUqPeIS8pvFt0soWZUfk2eyN9mFhWWx5YCOG6RX_tCN9J72LO1vD3RpSY6rCE5SIYLqHwOJ-t0_lB0de9uDS2kgCr1TrvxXmDl1aeborx9BsEzgjDarUj/s200/coffeeshop_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021852807188425090" /></a>One of the largest union elections ever conducted inside the government has moved a step closer to resolution.<br /><br />The Washington regional director of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, in a decision issued late Wednesday, said the National Treasury Employees Union should be certified to represent about 30,000 workers in Customs and Border Protection, a major bureau in the Homeland Security Department.<br /><br />NTEU defeated the American Federation of Government Employees last June -- 7,349 to 3,426 -- for the right to represent the employees. AFGE filed objections to the election, but a review conducted by Robert P. Hunter, the Washington FLRA regional director, found no merit to the claims.<br /><br />Read the full story <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801708.html">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-28333389344961961752007-01-10T17:55:00.000-05:002007-01-10T17:57:19.364-05:00H.R. 1 Passes House<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdQjk7Q9AFVsjD9scOnPTOLA7VtRuZsWNiKC44AFBviaqr2VJow4WcipiJTG0buVPITlzj2DGiovPc9eEydSfi2SUZ16OzAiezJjLG7wMtoZYtS8d6KRtZkovIJ5Odp-SMteVj4rONNCp/s200/coffeeshop_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018539622171650418" /></a>Congressional approval last night of H.R. 1 putting Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees on the same footing as other federal employees was welcomed by NTEU.<br /><br />H.R. 1 is a broad package of legislation implementing many recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and includes language requiring that TSA employees have the same employment rights, including collective bargaining, as other federal employees. The legislation terminates the current personnel system and gives the DHS Secretary the option of moving TSA employees to one of the personnel management systems currently in place for other federal employees.<br /> <br />The bill contains a number of other provisions, including language requiring screening of all cargo coming into the United States. This provision could prove beneficial in securing additional personnel for Customs and Border Protection<br /><br />CBP employees have full collective bargaining rights in the first place thanks to NTEU’s successful efforts in federal court in defeating regulations advanced by DHS and the Office of Personnel Management that would have severely restricted not only collective bargaining rights, but their due process and appeal rights as well.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-45051014405503047102007-01-10T17:48:00.000-05:002007-01-10T17:54:50.361-05:00Silverjet to Begin Daily Flights from EWR to Luton, UK<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWTKg8bdlA11PHipiLgMBdfWI2vWeqVM4ixHua2qE2jL4HpWwWA3OURTDXiKoCreLSbbbR4djjERtCxsERGu6Q5EnKXsllAKd_JVDqqzvl61uM4KnJf1mxfguHZMjpvm_iEHiZAQeeumu/s200/airtransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018538853372504418" /></a>Silverjet will begin daily flights later this month from Newark Liberty International Airport to Luton Airport outside of London. Silverjet's fleet of Boeing 767s will be configured with 100 seats.<br /><br />Read the full story <a href="http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-1/1168405733241260.xml&coll=5&thispage=1">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-89918930664311901052007-01-03T19:09:00.000-05:002007-01-03T19:13:38.483-05:00Bush Recess Appointment to Labor Board Draws Fire<a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015961632325654850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ge_iZcZ0gnoaCvRNVV7oTDYPRrky-vGUUshhZ3CczVk30c99qZobbL3SGIg3vBb_osD5yKNhtJp-Dj7Z0aVOQE1-FMpYGNKz4N5-YzWjUmkbP6c5V-MEkLAKsCZjwroliDG_22ucoupi/s200/coffeeshop_sml.gif" border="0" /></a>President Bush's decision last month to grant a recess appointment to a Republican lawyer to sit on the governing body for federal labor-management disputes is drawing criticism.<br /><br />Bush's decision leaves a Democratic slot on the panel unfilled.<br /><br />But with Bush's Dec. 20 appointment of Wayne Beyer, a former administrative appeals judge at the Labor Department with a law degree from Georgetown University, FLRA is set to rule with two Republicans and no Democrats. Carol Pope, the only Democrat on FLRA, completed her five-year term at the end of the 109th congressional session.<br /><br />Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, one of the largest federal unions in FLRA's jurisdiction, said she wanted the president to reappoint Pope.<br /><br />"While NTEU is not advancing substantive objections to the Beyer nomination," Kelley said, "the union will oppose his confirmation to a full term as an FLRA member so long as the president continues to ignore his statutory responsibility to nominate a Democrat to this body."<br /><br />Beyer joins Dale Cabaniss, former chief counsel for the Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on the Civil Service under Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Cabaniss was confirmed by the Senate in October 2003.<br /><br />Beyer's recess appointment will last one year, at which point he will need Senate confirmation.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-8957916595832675302006-12-29T16:47:00.000-05:002006-12-29T16:49:18.436-05:00Airport News: French Airline to Operate Out of EWR<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtsxw8WgR8hAzwzXk1rt1Gksg3V2EyEe8ro8B69X-sJ-oSm3cXZbd1kgZsBICRAkaRvkI5uO3voxs5Jh8ukdb29Heg0X2E2qlmgPyVB8dd2BwZUT_pp_7ZoQS46tvL6Tvz1rngE3BCViC/s200/airtransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014069019991439442" /></a>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. <br /><br />The airline company, which recently changed its name from Elysair, intends to operate Boeing 757-200s configured for 100-seat business-class-only service.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-36717780022367394972006-12-29T09:05:00.000-05:002006-12-29T16:47:12.085-05:00Report: CBPOs Qualify for Law Enforcement Officer Status<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx37gEWzT24bawvl73vM2Z8MIcX0F8_9WnVUeG41mExNHQBt57fhQJkHuDEbO2DZ5zck9MC9AXlNOQEFX3sAnsXMe-fSIylFrLe2Oai1vAOb2sDZWPmXwq-pHGeNsQvmTqNOIV_n6CQnSU/s200/coffeeshop_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013950259850737730" /></a>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. <br /><br />“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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Read the full report <a href="http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07121.pdf">here</a>nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-46876438382202335872006-12-28T12:48:00.000-05:002006-12-28T13:01:40.001-05:00Employee Health: OPM Extends Open Season<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6TDi50v37oMOlIvsFjI7NrtiIZfjSfJqJgqAhEgyAB4taDdEGp2mQfxyoqLqOH3UQxhhvFwN0g20hipQ0iOzKripultTCZCBDLB0mrTdJZQsAIutaFJ5aMH9A3BzubQo-xXvwyWfBf8E/s200/firstaid_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013637736555444274" /></a>Employees and retirees have one last chance to enroll in high-deductible health plans for next year.<br /><br />Though the open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) officially ended Dec. 11, the <a href="http://www.opm.gov/">Office of Personnel Management</a> has extended the enrollment period through midnight Dec. 31 for employees and retirees interested in switching to high-deductible health plans.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-30300183055095936862006-12-27T14:15:00.000-05:002006-12-27T14:21:14.814-05:00Seaport News: Port Needs Better Security<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNftF97Uh6UwjO2qmVOaVAPDDx59BCuPxpqe-QNi5UL37pkIsNYp3gMM_Gvxi3oUIjKRC8CHsxYccGRz4IooX0YSgj3vRzqowzpZXTPPGH519PleRKwXS5fseyqWnpITCnp_vGg0wKHhCU/s200/watertransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013288048908138514" /></a>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.<br /><br />Read the full story <a href="http://www.huliq.com/2588/port-authority-new-york-and-new-jersey-port-needs-better-security">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-54704439715275241582006-12-27T12:32:00.000-05:002006-12-27T14:15:23.655-05:00Airport News: EWR Sets Passenger Record<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHloP5dI_v9DExue-L5FSFkybchOMCbXkuUP5s6R7ey_93xkW23niJCjUh4X2QUqAGH16Wn5ckIIXe9TaAFC2lesPZrm6Zl4PHGdorc4Url38S3hd6kQZ14EaTndvV-3nA4KkBmf7W57B7/s200/airtransportation_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013279467563481058" /></a>More people traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport in 2006 than ever before, officials said Monday.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Read the full story <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8M3FVIG9.htm">here</a>.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-41297911337342207952006-12-27T09:26:00.000-05:002006-12-27T09:57:19.798-05:00Happy Holidays<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrePmwc36OwBN8ojFawoKIor5ZCoQkrRK-bLTl9uOL6J1xTvrh5xA1UstQR4OpPIxJogdOon_avUG6dUApdKRfUJrMwH7SpAjJq62tksP1MhmZ8qjE6Mm8GTN3b4o8K6s7fNEwLClN68ds/s1600-h/christmas.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013220841259890514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrePmwc36OwBN8ojFawoKIor5ZCoQkrRK-bLTl9uOL6J1xTvrh5xA1UstQR4OpPIxJogdOon_avUG6dUApdKRfUJrMwH7SpAjJq62tksP1MhmZ8qjE6Mm8GTN3b4o8K6s7fNEwLClN68ds/s320/christmas.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Chapter 161 wishes everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!</div>nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156741310423193922.post-17165301984939534112006-12-26T21:48:00.001-05:002006-12-27T13:54:10.161-05:00Union News: Your January Pay Raise<a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFsHqGvt2KelyZUOo7yf3AJUax4z2khShn1mIjZW2hFrIz3U5sO4U6CpqK1qTGrB0IfLxdQwhy3X1WJDjoUWhnW5iYMroiDgzeDwEUl7K3x09MHuvr2NBNkOxkfyhH9KNDAXQNFp37ltf/s200/coffeeshop_sml.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013281288629614594" /></a>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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.opm.gov/">Office of Personnel Management</a> (OPM) are now the final pay tables for 2007.nteu161@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06382639828759133975noreply@blogger.com