The National Treasury Employees Union represents some 150,000 workers in 30 government agencies, making it the largest independent non-postal federal employees union. The union specializes in representation of non-supervisory federal employees in every classification and pay level in civilian agencies. NTEU has worked for over 65 years to expand the scope of federal employee protections, rights, and benefits.
In 1938, the National Association of Employees of Collectors of the Internal Revenue (NAECIR) was established to improve working conditions, and ensure fair wages and job security for federal revenue officers.
When the revenue collection agency was re-organized as the Internal Revenue Service in 1952, NAECIR broadened its scope to include all IRS workers, and adopted a shorter name--the National Association of Internal Revenue Employees (NAIRE). NAIRE received its charter as a federal employee union in 1967.
In 1973, the union expanded again to include members throughout the Treasury Department. The organization's name was updated to the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) to reflect the change. In 1975, NTEU merged with the National Customs Service Association, which brought in the first non-IRS members.
In 1977, members voted to strengthen the union by moving beyond the Treasury Department to organize employees in other federal agencies. In 1978, employees of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) became the first members outside the Treasury Department.