A top boss at U.S. Customs and Border Protection was in town this morning to thank a group of about 250 CBP employees who assembled at a Holiday Inn.

This is interesting in light of an internal survey that was pretty scathing against the agency’s leadership. The results were released by the workers’ union.

“Deputy Commissioner Jayson Ahern congratulated Tucson area CBP employees on their wide range of achievements and praised their resolve to remain ever vigilant as the agency marks its 5th anniversary,” according to the agency press release.

Workers who have put in 20 years with the agency got a certificate and a pin.

According to a union press release about a recent CBP employee survey:
• 27.1 percent believe their leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce
• 29.5 percent said they are satisfied with the policies and practices of senior agency leadership — while only 33.1 percent believe the same about senior leaders in their component
• 30 percent said they are satisfied with their involvement in decisions affecting their work

Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union which represents the workers, said in the press release that “meeting with employees is a first step, but what CBP really needs to do is work with NTEU, listen to employees and act on employee input. CBP has not done that.”