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Washington, D.C.--The head of the nation's largest independent union of federal employees today thanked members of the federal workforce for "not allowing themselves to be distracted from performing the people's business" by the extended impeachment proceedings and he urged a prompt return to addressing important issues on the nation's agenda, including top

priorities for federal employees.

President Robert M. Tobias of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said federal workers "continued to meet their day-to-day responsibilities to the American people" even as Congress and the media focused almost exclusively on the issues surrounding the impeachment proceedings.

Since so much of their work lives is directly tied to the actions of the administration and Congress, "it would have been easy for federal workers to have been caught up in the proceedings and distracted by them," Tobias said. "That they didn't let that happen illustrates their commitment to serving the public."

The federal labor leader, whose union represents more than 155,000 employees in 20 agencies and departments, said that with the end of the impeachment trial, it is time for Congress and the administration to turn their attention to resolving national problems.

Among these, he said, are several that directly impact federal employees,-including consideration of a fair pay increase for the men and women of the federal workforce; the need for bipartisan cooperation over possible changes in the Social Security system; a pressing need to make child day care in federal facilities affordable for the people who work in those buildings; and employee concerns over continuing attacks on their collective bargaining rights.

"These are issues that go to the heart of the quality of the employees the government is able to attract and retain," Tobias said, "and in a very real way affect every American."

These issues will be the focal point of NTEU's upcoming annual legislative conference, which will draw more than 300 NTEU members from around the country to Washington for three days, February 22-24, to meet with their home state elected federal officials.

The legislative conference, which will be held at the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St. SW, in Washington, will feature an address at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, by Vice President Al Gore.

Other speakers include Tobias and NTEU National Executive Vice President Colleen E. Kelley, along with Energy Secretary Bill Richardson; and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), ranking member of the House Civil Service Subcommittee; Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; and Joe Scarborough (R-FL), chairman of the House Civil Service Subcommittee.