Message from the National President
Federal employees suffered many setbacks during the previous administration.
While some thought a new administration would bring immediate change, NTEU
knew that undoing the wrongs of the past eight years takes time and the support
of Congress. Still, we have made important strides since Inauguration
Day in our efforts to improve the federal government as a workplace. The President
signed
into law a package of federal employee provisions including language giving
those covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System the right to count
unused sick leave toward their retirement calculation. The IRS ended
its private tax collection scheme. Congress passed
a one-year government-wide moratorium on new public-private job competitions
for federal work. Paid parental leave passed
the House of Representatives despite strong opposition.
What
is TEPAC? |
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The Treasury Employees Political Action Committee (TEPAC) enables
NTEU to make political contributions to federal candidates who
have shown that they are committed to supporting federal employees,
helping to push these candidates to victory while defeating
those who have worked to limit our rights and benefits.
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But there is much more work to be done. This is where TEPAC
comes in:
• TEPAC is a critical component in our work to elect
our supporters to federal office.
• TEPAC enables NTEU to make political contributions to federal candidates
who have shown that they are committed to supporting federal retirees.
• We cannot use union dues for these efforts.
• We must raise these necessary funds from voluntary contributions
from members like you.
With your help, NTEU can continue to be a force for positive
change on a number of important fronts including employee rights, benefits
and protections. But perhaps the issue that most affects federal employees
is the cost of health care. NTEU is participating in the current health
care debate, fighting against proposals to tax employee health benefits
and a recent attempt to eliminate the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program.
Change doesn’t happen
overnight. Opposition to federal employees remains strong, but we are on
the road to progress. However, we must ensure the success of our congressional
supporters in the 2010 elections or we risk the return of anti-federal employee
proposals.
Our obligation as a union is to use every tool available
to us, including TEPAC, on behalf of those who we represent. As long as
our opposition can have PACs and use them to elect members of Congress who
will support their efforts, NTEU will exercise its right to have a PAC to
counter these efforts. Every dollar you give to TEPAC is used to support
those who support us. We are only concerned with the issues that affect
federal employees. We do not support candidates based on party affiliation
or any issue that does not directly affect federal employees and retirees.
Please return this 1199A
form to sign up for as little as $1.50 per pay period on payroll deduction.
You can also make
a one-time additional contribution by check or credit card. Please help
us stay on the path of progress and make sure your voice is heard.
Sincerely,
PLEASE NOTE: The
act of completing an SF-1199a form on federal property and physically walking
it to your personnel office is a violation of the Hatch Act. Please complete
this form offsite and send it to the TEPAC Director Deborah
Jansen at NTEU’s National Office to avoid breaking the law!
Contributions to TEPAC are not tax deductible. Federal law requires
us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address,
occupation and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed
$200 in a calendar year.
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