Dear NTEU Members,
What a year! Before we leave 2017 behind, I wanted to say thank you to every NTEU member for being part of the union and for the work you do as a member of this great nation's federal workforce.
We had some very difficult times in 2017, including legislative attacks on your pay and benefits, ongoing shutdown threats and a series of unimaginable natural disasters. But we stood strong, we stood together, we fought back and we helped those in need.
We were successful in stopping harmful changes to your retirement, and we even had legislative victories. We brought a lot of new contracts into the workplace, preserving and expanding your rights.
NTEU continued its ongoing efforts to tell your story and change the public narrative about federal employees. Too few Americans understand the full scope of the contributions federal employees make to their daily lives, and we will not let a biased narrative about you go unchallenged.
Like many of you, I approach a New Year with a mixture of anticipation, hope and renewed resolve. What I anticipate in 2018 is the continued strength of NTEU members working together for each other and for our country. I hope that our collective voices will pierce the anti-federal employee rhetoric that surrounds Washington, D.C., and more accurate and balanced discussions emerge. And, I resolve to continue my 25+ years of representing NTEU members and fighting for you every single day.
I am looking forward to celebrating NTEU’s 80th anniversary in 2018. Our union has been protecting federal employees since 1938, and we have built a strong, powerful network of dedicated chapters and chapter leaders. They draw on all the experience and knowledge gained over eight decades to provide the best representation in the federal sector. In 2018, we begin to write the history of our next 80 years, and I know it is one for which we will all be proud.
I wish you and your families a healthy and happy New Year, and I look forward to working with each of you in 2018 to keep our federal workforce strong and to provide you with the resources you need to serve our country.
Tony Reardon
NTEU National President