[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18115]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                            ROBERT M. TOBIAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Coyne) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker I rise today to observe the retirement of Mr. 
Robert M. Tobias. Mr. Tobias will retire as National President of the 
National Treasury Employees Union when his term expires in August.
  Mr. Tobias has been the NTEU's president for the last 16 years. Prior 
to his service as president of the NTEU, he served the union as its 
executive vice president and general counsel. Mr. Tobias worked 
successfully to expand the NTEU's membership from 20,000 to 155,000. 
His tenure has also been marked by major steps forward in the treatment 
of federal employees. As a result of his efforts NTEU has negotiated 
alternative work schedules, flexiplace work arrangements, monetary 
performance awards, and on-site child care arrangements for federal 
employees. He was also involved in the successful court battle to 
overturn the ban on speaking and writing honoraria for federal 
employees. Mr. Tobias also helped to create innovative labor-management 
partnerships which resulted in greater productivity and customer 
satisfaction at the Internal Revenue Service.
  Mr. Tobias was also appointed to serve on the Federal Employees 
Salary Council, the National Partnership Council, the Commission to 
Restructure the IRS, the Federal Advisory Committee on Occupational 
Safety and Health, the Executive Improvement Team at the U.S. Customs 
Service, and, most recently, the IRS Oversight Board. I had the honor 
to serve with him on the IRS restructuring commission in 1997, and I 
can vouch first-hand for the hard work and dedication that he put into 
the commission's efforts to provide Congress with recommendations for 
improving IRS organization and management. Mr. Tobias has also 
testified many times before the House Ways and Means Committee, on 
which I served, and I can honestly say that his testimony was always 
informative and helpful to the Committee in its efforts to improve the 
operations of the IRS.
  My constituents in Pittsburgh who are part of NTEU's Chapter 34 are 
pleased to have worked with Mr. Tobias as well.
  Mr. Tobias serves on the board of directors of American Arbitration 
Association and is co-founder and treasurer of the Federal Employees 
Education and Assistance Fund.
  On behalf of my constituents, my colleagues on the IRS restructuring 
commission, the House Ways and Means Committee, and myself, I want to 
thank Mr. Tobias for his many years of service and wish him all the 
best as he pursues new challenges and opportunities in the coming 
years.

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