Supporters of the National Treasury Employees Union during a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on March 2, 2011. 

Supporters of the National Treasury Employees Union during a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on March 2, 2011.  SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Union chief: It’s not just a threat to federal employees

COMMENTARY | "Either we fight for our federal workforce now...or we will suffer the consequences of a government ill-equipped to protect and deliver for the taxpaying citizens of our nation," writes Doreen Greenwald, national president for the National Treasury Employees Union.

Imagine receiving an email directly from an unknown source within the federal government’s Office of Personnel Management, the agency responsible for managing the salary, benefits—and livelihoods—of a vital national resource. A week ago, 2 million federal employees received a threatening email encouraging them to resign, regardless of the work they do for the country.

That Wednesday morning, those 2 million people woke up and did what they do every day: put their talents to work for the American people.

As shocking as it was to be bullied into making a life-changing decision with sketchy details and unrealistic promises, the truly remarkable moment last week was how the workforce registered its defiance with the simple act of doing the work they were hired to do.

I was a frontline federal employee for 35 years before becoming president of the National Treasury Employees Union, and I know the dedication and commitment our members have to their country and the services that people depend on. No one should be surprised that the men and women who chose a career in public service would choose, again, to stay and serve.

Talk about a fork in the road. Federal employees—scientists, accountants, clerks, gardeners, lawyers, law enforcement officers, engineers, secretaries, writers, park rangers—could have pursued careers in the private sector. But these are the people who are motivated not by profit, but by service, and we are all better for it.

They deliver the day-to-day government services the law requires, and the taxpayers expect: secure the nation, safeguard the public health, provide aid to those in need, foster economic growth and catch those who try to defraud the system. They are scrupulously nonpartisan in their duties and have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, a pledge transcending whatever political party happens to occupy the White House at any given moment.

This is the time for all of us to consider what happens if they quit or are fired for reasons that have nothing to do with job performance and are replaced with people who do not go through a competitive hiring process based on merit. On a large enough scale, basic government services would be disrupted, halted, or in the hands of someone who cares more about political power than public service. Tax filing season is not the time to have fewer customer representatives answering the phones. The decision to hold a company accountable for defrauding consumers should not be affected by whether that company donated to someone’s campaign. A longtime expert on food safety— trained over the years with taxpayer dollars—should not be terrified to speak up when she finds something wrong. And on and on.

The United States has first-hand experience with the corruption accompanying a workforce built on patronage, and we took great pains to replace it 142 years ago with one rooted in professionalism and insulated from politics.

There is nothing “efficient” about cutting the services and programs that help this nation function and thrive. Either we fight for our federal workforce now—to ensure the American people continue to get the quality services they depend on—or we will suffer the consequences of a government ill-equipped to protect and deliver for the taxpaying citizens of our nation.

The email got one thing correct: There is a fork in the road. The American people can either go down a path preserving the services and workforce we have or squander critical resources that keep this nation running. One of those paths is more dangerous than the other.

Doreen Greenwald is National President of the National Treasury Employees Union.