NTEU's Growth: 1938 - Today 1938 Federal workers form National Association of Employees of Collectors of the Internal Revenue (NAECIR) 1952 NAECIR becomes National Association of Internal Revenue Employees (NAIRE), expands to all IRS employees 1970 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (now Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) 1973 NAIRE becomes NTEU, expands to cover entire Treasury Department, Customs Service. 1975 National Customs Service Association merges with NTEU. 1976 Bureau of the Public Debt 1977 Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Financial Management Services, Federal Election Commission 1978 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Dept. of Health and Human Services, Dept. of Energy 1982 Office of Hearings and Appeals (now Office of Disability Adjudication and Review), Food and Nutrition Service 1984 Patent and Trademark Office 1986 Administration for Children and Families 1989 Food and Drug Administration 1993 Farm Services Agency 1997 Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS Program Support Center 1998 Environmental Protection Agency 1999 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Center for Health Statistics 2000 Securities and Exchange Commission 2002 National Park Service, Treasury Departmental offices, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 2003 Congress creates the Dept. of Homeland Security; Customs moves from Treasury to DHS and becomes CBP. 2004 National Credit Union Administration 2007 NTEU is certified the winner of the election to represent all CBP employees, union charters first chapter at Transportation Security Administration

From a Small Gathering of Federal Workers to 150,000 Strong...

Civil service protections, fair salaries and improved working conditions. Those were the goals of a group of Wisconsin IRS employees who formed an organization back in 1938. Seventy years later, that organization has grown into the National Treasury Employees Union, representing 150,000 employees at 31 different federal agencies.

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And while NTEU has amassed a long list of significant gains touching almost every aspect of the lives of federal employees, the union's founding goals remain the same. Our work continues to secure enhanced workplace rights and protections. NTEU is grateful for the strong support of our members, without whom our success and growth over the years would not have been possible.

NTEU Through the Years Previous- Next

It began in 1938, in Wisconsin, when a group of workers known as Internal Revenue Collectors formed an organization they hoped would lead them to civil service protection, secure fair salaries and improve their working conditions. It was known as the National Association of Employees of Collectors of the Internal Revenue (NAECIR).

In 1952, the Internal Revenue Bureau became the Internal Revenue Service. NAECIR, which had won the protections of the competitive service, reorganized as well. It changed its name to the National Association of Internal Revenue Employees (NAIRE) and embarked on an ambitious effort to attract new members. NAIRE was hampered, however, by a strong IRS management influence.

That changed in the 1960s, and most particularly at the 1967 national convention, when delegates adopted the constitution that forms the foundation for today’s National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). Thus began the transformation from social club to the strongest federal sector union—including expansion far beyond its roots in the IRS to establish bargaining units in more than 31 federal agencies and departments.

As its reaches its 70th year, no union has done more to shape the face of the modern federal workplace. NTEU sets the standard for  bargaining achievements; has refined the process of organizing new members; consistently provides the most effective workplace representation; and has a well-earned reputation as the most active and successful union in both the courtroom and on Capitol Hill, where so much of what impacts the lives of federal employees is decided.

The Accomplishments

What has NTEU done in the past 70 years? Here are just a few of our accomplishments for federal employees:

• Won $533 million in back pay for federal employees when an appeals court ruled against President Nixon’s 1972 pay raise deferral.

• Secured a permanent child care tuition assistance program.

• Won enhanced Law Enforcement Officer retirement benefits for CBP Officers.

• Aggressively pushed for Flexible Spending Accounts.

• Secured an expansion of the ability to contribute to or modify contributions to the federal Thrift Savings Plan.

• Won a dental-vision plan.

• Compensatory time for travel and Alternative Work Schedules became a possibility when NTEU backed legislative changes to allow them.

• Won a federal court ruling that employees have the right to review promotion files.

• Secured expanded political and legislative action rights of federal employees.

• Won three federal court decisions declaring portions of the DHS personnel rules illegal.

• Beat back an IRS attempt to close dozens of its Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide.

• Won a first-ever court victory against an agency’s illegal use of appropriated funds to give federal jobs to a contractor without giving employees the chance to compete.

At the Helm National President Colleen M. Kelley, a former IRS Revenue Agent, was first elected to the union’s top post in August 1999, after a four-year term as national executive vice president. She was overwhelmingly re-elected to a third term in August 2007. Her dedication to improving the lives of federal employees is clear from her exemplary service to NTEU and its members at the local and national levels for more than 20 years.   National Executive Vice President Frank D. Ferris has served NTEU for over 31 years. Ferris left federal employment in the mid-70s, and has been associated with NTEU since then supervising the union's negotiations, training and cooperative efforts programs. As the Director of Negotiations, he served as the chief spokesperson during numerous contract negotiations between NTEU and federal agencies and departments where NTEU represents employees.