NCUA Employees Vote to Establish a Union

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-When polls closed June 30 on whether to establish a union at NCUA or not, the vote was decidedly (345-220) in favor of the union. NCUA employees organized Chapter 303 under the auspices of the National Treasury Employees Union. Employees have complained of unpaid overtime and unequal treatment by supervisors. NTEU represents approximately 150,000 employees from 30 different government agencies, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. (The OCC chapter began proceedings this year to decertify after just two years but another vote must be held to disband as well.) Nearly 800 NCUA employees of more than 900 are eligible to become part of the bargaining unit, though NCUA challenged the eligibility of about 500 employees, namely examiners, and lost. Since then, NTEU has filed unfair labor charges against NCUA for changing an employee hours policy the day of the election and refusing to make a good faith effort to negotiate with the union. Agency officials said they are ready to negotiate whenever the union is ready. Chapter 303 held officer elections Dec. 1 and they were sworn in by NTEU President Colleen Kelley Dec. 13. -