The National Treasury Employees Union has filed a grievance
challenging the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to close
telephone call sites in Chicago and Houston, citing language
in two federal laws prohibiting the agency from reducing
customer service until the impact of doing so can be studied.
Language in the fiscal 2006 Transportation-Treasury appropriation
bill directs the agency to improve its 1-800 help line service,
and language in the fiscal 2006 Defense appropriations bill
prohibits the agency from cutting telephone assistance center
help below October 2005 levels, NTEU noted.
The agency, which represents about 90,000 IRS employees, said
the shutdowns would affect 95 employees in the two cities at
call centers handling wage and investment division calls.
In the past year, the agency met resistance for and ultimately
scrapped plans to close 68 walk-in taxpayer assistance centers
nationwide, and shelved another plan to reduce the time of day
telephone tax help is available by 20 percent.
