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The Month in Media
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the News and our press
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NTEU Makes Headlines
 Coverage
of NTEU's position and work on behalf of federal employees was
included in more than 15 media stories last
month.
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Every day, NTEU takes the message of the importance of federal workers
to the media—and we get results. Over the past two years, NTEU and
our members have been featured in more than 1,000 stories in newspapers,
magazines, television and radio.
Here are excerpts of news stories that were published this past month.
Generally, the opening paragraph of each story is included as well as those
paragraphs that feature NTEU’s position on the issue. In many cases,
links to the complete story are available by visiting NTEU
in the News.
 August
headlines:
President Kelley takes on the misconception that federal employees earn more than their private-sector counterparts in a series of letters to the editor. Read the letter
NTEU continues its defense of federal pay and explains why critics are using the wrong data for their arguments. Read the clips
Collective bargaining is the topic of discussion at a meeting between President Kelley and the new head of the Transportation Security Administration. Read the clips
NTEU speaks out about its role in the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a proposal to cut the federal workforce. Read
the clips
Federal workers provide vital services to the public—Letter to the Editor (USA Today)
USA TODAY's article "Private wages no match for feds'," on the pay of federal employees, ignores Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data that show federal sector workers earn 22% less than private sector workers doing similar jobs (News, Tuesday).
The reporter instead relied on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which openly acknowledges that its information provides a distorted comparison between the federal and private sectors.
These BEA factors were provided to the reporter, who apparently chose to ignore them.
These two government agencies collect and report data for different purposes. Both Democratic and Republican administrations have understood that the BLS data are the definitive source for data leading to a valid comparison.
Federal workers provide vital services to the public, from protecting our food supply and our water and air to securing our homeland and assisting the elderly and citizens with disabilities.
The mix of occupations in the federal sector is much different from the entire private sector. The government has far more professional positions, with on-average higher education levels. The private sector, meanwhile, employs a higher percentage of service workers. In the federal sector, 51% of employees have a college degree, compared with only 35% in the private sector.
Federal workers are not overpaid. Given their education and skill levels, they could earn much more in the private sector. Fortunately for our nation, they choose instead to serve the public.
Colleen M. Kelley,
National president, National Treasury Employees Union
Washington, D.C.
August 16, 2010
Federal worker wages (Long Beach Press-Telegram)
Your Aug. 16 editorial, "The government worker advantage," from the Stockton Record, repeats misleading information about the pay and benefits of federal employees.
The data in the editorial come from broad information about our economy collected by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for a variety of uses, but not designed to measure labor costs. BEA, in fact, explains clearly that its information distorts federal compensation levels compared with the private sector.
It is widely acknowledged that definitive data on public and private sector pay come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, which measures labor costs. These data are based on the actual duties performed by a worker in a similar job in the same geographic region. BLS consistently finds that federal employees earn less than their private sector counterparts; the present gap is 22 percent, on average.
As to pensions, federal employees receive only a small defined benefit, supplemented by a savings plan similar to private sector 401(k) plans and Social Security. Under an older system that is being phased out, some federal workers do receive a higher pension, but they get no or only limited Social Security. Most federal workers could make more money in the private sector but have chosen public service instead.
Colleen M. Kelley
National President, National Treasury Employees Union, Washington, D.C.
August 17, 2010
Distorting the numbers—Letters to the editor (Colorado Springs Gazette)
The Gazette (Our View: “Fat federal workers burden economy”, Aug. 12) misleads its readers by blindly repeating numbers from a news report that distort the compensation of the federal employees.
The editorial uses Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data that—as BEA itself notes—can lead to invalid comparisons of federal pay to private sector pay. In reality, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), using methods to measure labor costs, finds federal sector workers earn 22 percent less than private sector workers when comparing similar jobs in the same locations.
In addition to propagating misleading data, the editorial denigrates public servants by claiming they do not invest or produce anything. In reality, federal workers are taxpaying members of the community who provide vital services. Every day, they are hard at work to improve and protect the American way of life.
Colleen M. Kelley, National President, National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)
Washington, D.C.
August 23, 2010
Letter to the Editor (Spartanburg Herald-Journal)
The Herald-Journal's editorial ("By the government, for the government," Tuesday's edition) relies on misused data and unsupported claims to misrepresent the compensation of federal employees.
The editorial fails to note that the Bureau of Economic Analysis warns that its data on federal pay cannot be relied on for accurate comparisons with the private sector. The editorial also claimed, without citing a source, that federal employees earn "an average of 20 percent more" than comparable private sector workers.
The reality is to the contrary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), using methods to measure labor costs, shows federal workers earn 22 percent less than private sector workers doing similar jobs in the same locations. In fact, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the BLS has consistently found a significant gap in favor of the private sector.
Every day, federal employees perform work that is vital for the American people and our way of life, even though many could earn more in the private sector. It is a disservice to them and their commitment to our nation to distort their compensation.
Colleen M. Kelley, National President, National Treasury Employees Union
August 20, 2010
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OPM Critical of Tales of Overpaid Fed (Federal Daily)
The federal government has added its voice to the ongoing saga of the “overpaid fed”—and says it is just a myth.
John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, posted an Aug. 16 memo that rebutted newspaper articles claiming federal workers were grossly overpaid. An Aug. 10 USA TODAY article said that federal workers pay dramatically outstripped their private counterparts last year.
Unions also have weighed in on the issue. The National Treasury Employees Union criticized the articles and noted that the BEA data is not designed for making comparisons between federal and private-sector pay. NTEU said there is accurate data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows federal employees are paid an average of 22 percent less than their private-sector counterparts.
August 19, 2010
Memo to media: Comparing federal wages to private-sector wages isn't as clear cut as USA Today leads you to believe (Media Matters)
In an August 11 article, USA Today, citing data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, reported that "[f]ederal civil servants earned average pay and benefits of $123,049 in 2009 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation."
Why is this a misleading comparison? For starters, as USA Today explained in its article: "Public employee unions say the compensation gap reflects the increasingly high level of skill and education required for most federal jobs and the government contracting out lower-paid jobs to the private sector in recent years."
The article further quotes Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, as saying, "The data are not useful for a direct public-private pay comparison."
August 11, 2010
Group: Federal workers overpaid Data misleading, say union, agency (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
A libertarian think tank says recently released government numbers show that the average federal civilian worker's pay and benefit package is twice that of the average private sector worker, but others, including federal employee unions, say that conclusion is misleading.
Kelley, of the treasury employees union, said in a statement that many federal workers could earn much more in the private sector than they do in public service.
"It is clear that highly trained and skilled federal employees could earn far more money in the private sector," she said. "They work in the federal government because they see it for what it is—an opportunity to serve their country in effective and meaningful ways." Kelley attacked the use of Bureau of Economic Analysis data, saying they lead to "misleading conclusions" and are "not usable for a direct public-private pay comparison." Kelley cited a cautionary notice on the bureau's website warning that using averages could lead to distorted conclusions.
August 15, 2010
NTEU Blasts Fed Salary Analysis (Federal Daily)
The saga of the overpaid fed is taking on the proportion of an urban legend; it won’t go away. The National Treasury Employees Union criticized the latest USA TODAY article which said that federal workers pay dramatically outstripped their private counterparts last year.
The newspaper’s analysis, which was based on Bureau of Economic Analysis data, concluded that federal civil servants earned average pay and benefits of $123,049 in 2009 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation.
NTEU said there is accurate data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows federal employees are paid an average of 22 percent less than their private-sector counterparts. These surveys account for similar positions by geographic location.
“The truth is that most federal employees could earn more money in the private sector, but have chosen to serve the public as federal government employees,” the union said.
August 16, 2010
Federal officials fight back over criticism about salaries (Washington Post)
Election season and a bad economy are making road kill out of federal workers' salaries. Some newspapers, Republicans and conservative think tanks are inveighing against feds they say are cleaning up in salaries and benefits compared with their private sector counterparts.
The government is fighting back. After USA Today published another in a series of articles reporting a growing salary gap between private-sector and federal workers, top officials from the Office of Personnel Management dialed up the news media to make the opposite case.
"We would argue that any employee in any occupation should be given basic things like health benefits," said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union.
August 17, 2010
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| Transportation Security Administration |
TSA, Union Leaders Meet, Discuss Collective Bargain Rights (Federal Daily)
New Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole met with union leaders last week to discuss extending collective bargaining rights to all TSA employees and to talk over other workplace issues.
Pistole also met with National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley, who called the meeting “very useful and positive step forward for both employees and the agency.” NTEU has petitioned for an election to allow employees to choose one of the unions to serve as the sole representative of TSA Transportation Security Officers.
August 24, 2010
Unions pleased with TSA chief's progress on bargaining rights (GovExec)
Two union leaders are optimistic about the possibility of collective bargaining rights for Transportation Security Administration workers after a recent meeting with the agency's new administrator.
Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union met on Monday with TSA Administrator John Pistole to discuss priorities for the agency's employees.
Kelley said she's hopeful the results of the assessment are just a few weeks away, adding she's optimistic Pistole will conclude that bargaining rights should be granted. The administrator didn't identify any specific barriers, she said.
Kelley also said she hopes the next meeting with TSA officials will be to discuss the rollout of bargaining privileges and an election to determine which union will represent agency employees.
August 26, 2010
Federal Drive (Federal News Radio)
Federal union leaders say they're hopeful that transportation security workers will get collective bargaining rights. The head of the National Treasury Employees Union met for the first time with TSA Administrator John Pistole, and said she is optimistic that Pistole will decide in favor of collective bargaining rights.
The TSA leader has launched an assessment to figure out how collective bargaining would affect TSA's ability to perform its mission.
Listen to the show at: http://dhsunion.org/TSA/Videos/fednews.mp3
August 26, 2010
John Pistole discusses new role as Transportation Security Administration chief (Washington Post )
John Pistole. Good name for a lawman. Conjures up images of Wyatt Earp and Matt Dillon.
But this Pistole is no gunslinger, though the 26-year FBI veteran probably knows how to handle one well. In his new role as administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, Pistole runs an agency best known to the public for its airport baggage screeners.
Pistole has spent his first weeks in office gathering information from employees in town hall-style meetings and talking to a variety of people who have a stake in what the TSA does. He will meet next week with the president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).
"Collective bargaining is at the top of the agenda," said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. "I am very optimistic and hopeful that after he does his assessment, he will find there is no reason to deny these workers the rights they should have had long ago."
August 13, 2010
Federal Union heads Express Optimism After Private Meeting with TSA’s Pistole (Government Employee Relations)
The presidents of the two largest federal employee unions, after a private meeting Aug. 20 with John Pistole, the new head of the TSA, said they were pleased by their reception.
“I am very hopeful and optimistic,” that Pistole will grant collective bargaining rights to federal airport screeners, also known as TSOs, Colleen M. Kelley, president of NTEU, said.
Kelley said that she was hopeful that Pistole would finish gathering information by mid-to-late September and make an announcement soon thereafter. Pistole indicated at the meeting that “there will be an announced decision” regarding bargaining rights as opposed to simply sidestepping the issue.
August 31, 2010
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Lawmaker seeks cap on federal workforce growth (GovExec)
A Senate Republican is looking to limit growth in the federal workforce but faces opposition from employee unions and other lawmakers.
"The bill is one more example of fed-bashing that demeans our federal workforce and diminishes morale," said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Workforce Subcommittee. "This is a workforce that serves the public. The losers here are not just federal employees. It is the public they serve."
National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said the move was "short-sighted."
August 10, 2010
Geithner takes first step in new consumer agency's creation (Federal Times)
The clock is ticking on the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The government has one year to set up the agency and transfer consumer protection duties to it that are now done by seven other agencies.
National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said the agencies and lawmakers are talking to the union as they plan these transitions. She said NTEU will be part of implementation teams now being formed.
"If they need numbers and skills, NTEU will work with them to ensure the smoothest transition and, if at all possible, to make sure there's no harm done to [transferred employees'] careers," Kelley said.
August 11, 2010
Federal Unions: What Do They Really Do? (Federal News Radio)
In the private sector, unions typically bargain over pay and fringe benefits. In some places, workers (or a percentage of workers) must belong to the union. Or at least pay dues.
But when you work for the federal government your fringe package: retirement benefits, number of paid holidays, amount of sick leave and 401k plan benefits - is set by Congress. When it comes to pay raises, the amount white-collar federal workers get each January is set by Congress and the White House. And there is no requirement to belong to or pay dues to unions that represent you.
• The National Treasury Employees Union is locked in a major struggle to win new members and bargaining rights for TSA employees.
August 24, 2010
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