NTEU, CBP Reach Agreement on Six-Year Contract
After two years of bargaining, NTEU and CBP have reached agreement on a new six-year national contract.
While the new agreement protects and expands on your rights and benefits, it also stands as the first contract between NTEU and Customs/CBP since 1996 that did not require the intervention of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP). During previous contract negotiations, the FSIP had been required to impose some of the language that went into these contracts.
There are still some matters that must be addressed before the contract is implemented, most likely this fall. NTEU and CBP are still working to reach agreement over a Centers of Excellence and Expertise bid and rotation process and reassignments between Centers.
During negotiations, NTEU is stressing that Center employees are entitled to the same negotiated benefits and protections that the uniformed workforce enjoys.
Negotiations also continue over how to compute the 50-mile rule for the purposes of defining the “official duty station.”
Once NTEU and CBP reach agreement on these remaining issues, language will be added to the new agreement.
Next Steps
NTEU members will soon have an opportunity to learn more about the contract and vote to ratify it. After NTEU and CBP proofread the contract, it will be sent to NTEU chapters, which will have 30 days in which to conduct ratification meetings. Ahead of these meetings, NTEU will educate members on the benefits and protections contained in their new contract.
After ratification, the contract will be formally signed and will undergo agency head review. During this process, the Department of Homeland Security can only disapprove a contract provision that is illegal, not because the agency doesn’t agree with it. The new contract will become effective 90 days after agency review or on a date mutually agreed to by NTEU and CBP.
