When APWU President Cliff Guffey appeared on “The Ed Show” on MSNBC on Sept. 27, he got an enthusiastic introduction from the host, Ed Schultz.
“Politicians have been on a mission to get rid of the Postal Service since the year 2006 when they passed an unbelievable lame duck session law,” Schultz told viewers, referring the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which requires the USPS to pre-fund 75 years’ worth of future retiree health benefits within just 10 years.
Guffey discussed the campaign to Save America’s Postal Service and APWU’s efforts to build support for H.R. 1351, legislation that would restore financial stability to the Postal Service.
via APWU
Eliminate 110,000 managers equals 7 billion 150 million dollars in savings. Create 10k new t6’s to replace management costs only 500 million. It can be done. This is what our union should be pushing for. Then we won’t have to negotiate with a middle man like we are with management. It will be with an arbitrator. It goes to arbitration every contract anyway.
I agree with you R Harris. Create a new t6 position for daily operations and have the 6 most senior carriers switch off every day. This way we will be managed by our peers and not make work inbred micro- managers. The current management scam has no accountability and think the postal service needs them. WE DON’T! The other crafts can do the same. S. Harris Seattle.
Who says the Postal Service is losing money ? In the last 4 years they have shown a 611 million dollar profit. Despite all the talk of redution in force the managers numbers are still growing. Used to be 1 Manager per 45 routes now it is 1 per 20. When managers were forced to transfer the postal service bought them new houses and paid for their moving expenses. Fewer managers would solve a lot of problems.
As for Issa,first insurance fraud then car theift then illeagal guns.No wonder the house ethics committe called you in.
Thats why they vote republicon. Its the only way they will get any!!
John can stroke krankshaft then bend over Glen Beck.
Yay for John. Another Fake News nitwit that says “socialist” like a good little Rupert drone. Now get back to whacking off to Bill Orally.
Fire!! the Burac Hussain Obama and his socialist Party, the democract don’t know how to run this country.
All the far right does is blame everyone else and can’t come up with any ideas except war and evading taxes. You will see that in 2012 when all the politicians that the Koch brothers bought and paid for are recalled or replaced. Just look at the 10 states with the highest unemployment they are the states with the lowest corporate taxes. So much for the rich creating jobs. We all blame the republicans 100% since 2000 and Reagan for outsourcing all our good middle class jobs. Privatizing will not save our country it will destroy our middle class. As long as we have people like “Nicetry” blindly following the republican tea bagger beliefs that the government is our enemy the longer we will be in this mess.
Thanks Ed Schultz. Great job of explaining most of the situation with only 8 minutes. You could really do a whole show on this issue and expose the effort to privatize the US Postal Service.
What a lying, sociopathic, rabid far left winger. Yeah, this guy has no bias
Until the people in this country realize that far left and far right are equally to blame for the mess we’re in, nothing will change.
Ed was great, but Cliff seems to be a moron! Stumbling over his words, not making sense! No wonder her was railroaded by USPS management! We need someone like Mr Ed Schultz getting the word out about HR 1351.
Thanks Ed, you give a better, more passionate argument for saving the Postal Service than Cliff Guffey. Perhaps you can be the spokesperson.
Check the list of sponsors at apwu.org. Tell me why the democratic and cbc leadership are NOT signed on? We only need 3 more sponsors to get to the 218 we need to block Issi.
The 2006 Postal Act passed the Senate by a UNANIMOUS Consensus. (Which included then Senator Obama).
I believe you guys need to find the facts. One of the sponsors of the bill in 2006 was Waxman. NOT a republican at all. I challenge you to tell me how the vote went, DEMS vs REP voting YEA. It not only passed the house, but the Senate as well. I really challenge any of you to give a vote total. Go ahead post the votesd on here.
I think it is about time the the USPS understands that they can no longer afford paying out the high retirement and health benefits they do. I have a close friend who lost her husband 8 years ago and is still on free health care because her hubby worked as a postal carrier. HOW MANY COMPANIES COULD DO THIS?
It appears that the reason for the congress to ask for retirement benefits in advance is that the USPS made high promises they could not keep and needed our tax dollars to pay their employees off when they retired. I live in a rural community and greatly appreciate what our local PO does for us. However, I also believe that there has to be some controls … just as the teachers are learning. (And I say that from experience as my hubby is retired from our local university where he paid hardly NIL in payments for health care or retirement compared to the private companies.) Believe me, if you work for the government or a subsidiary of the government … it’s about time you all found out what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. We all need to share responsibility (whether left, right, independent or whatever). We need to understand what is really happening and get people into our government who can help solve the miriad of problems facing us and the next generation(s).
1ST CAV, you make more sense than all these teabag, Darrel Issa obsessed illiterates.
It is what it is….except, when it isn’t. This not a bailout!!! Return all money due to the post office immediately. Stop using the 60-70 billion of post office money to supplement the rest of the federal government retirees. Stop the 5.5 billion mandate to prefund retiree’s health care for 70 years. Above all else, let’s be fair.
Anyone who is anti-union is a tea bagging crack head that believes that the earthquakes and hurricanes are gods’ wrath against democrats and the middle class. Look at your history. April 1937 Hitler’s 1st act of power was to assassinate the 5 German union presidents. Anyone who doesn’t know their history is doomed to repeat it. So when the corporate fascists succeed at destroying our union and our postal service who will protect and fight for your working contract with management? The SS or the Gestapo? Issa or Ross? And now POW GOP McCain? The Koch Brothers’who financed 687 of these tea bagging clowns?
FOLLOW THE MONEY$$$$$$$$$$
This is what we are faced with every day. Now let’s do the math. Say the average pay for the 110,000 managers nationwide is $65,000. This is $7150000000. 7 BILLION 150 Million DOLLORS a year. Donabloe says we are losing 8 billion and have to lay off 220,000 workers. The OIG and postal inspectors work for management and target mainly the workers. They are fully aware this is going on but do nothing. $65,000 is a low average not including the bonuses and perks they give themselves. This figure could easily be beyond 15 billion. FIRE THEM ALL OR AT LEAST SOMEONE INVESTIGATE IT, PLEASE!!! We just want to work and make it to retirement.
it is time………… look up …… look down…….now…… VIVA THE REVOLUTION !!!!
And put Rep. Darrell Issa’s office in charge of the micro-managers on the California border. Just put his desk on the Mexican side. The 1st thing he would do is lower their pay to minimum wage and take all their benefits away. Then replace them with illegals. Let’s see how they like it.
But let’s add to this idea. Move all the managers in the postal service to Issa’s district and let the carriers, clerks and mail handlers run the rest. Issa’s post office will close the 1st day because management fired all their workers to save their own salaries.
Please ask the PMG why management has increased 28% while the craft has decreased 20% since 2000. Carriers and clerks and all the craft workers are sick and tired of paying management’s salaries with our jobs. Why is 20% of the USPS sub-contracted? Already 1 in 5 postal jobs have been privatized. It needs to stop, NOW!! Seattle is in a battle right now to save our mailrooms which are foot routes. Seattle management seems to think that giving 44 routes in downtown Seattle a vehicle and converting high rise buildings to a park and loop route will save money. WHERE? HOW? Every single postal customer in downtown Seattle is against this insane plan. Management is still steamrolling it through. Help Us!!
There is only one fix for this sky is falling scam implemented by management. A nationwide lock-out of every inbred weasel manager that slithers to work every day to pretend that they actually do or micro-manage anything. The 6 most senior WORKERS would rotate daily operations at plants and stations Monday to Saturday. Every postal worker needs to put the spotlight on our real enemy which is postal management. Here is a simple math problem. “If you lined up the 6 foot desks of the 110,000 management slots in a line. How long would it be?” Answer: 125 miles. I say send those desk jockeys to line the California/ Mexico border and deduct their worthless salaries from the PO and drop a dime off of a stamp. One, it won’t affect the mail stream at all and 2 management is only good at taking workers jobs away. So line them all up on our southern borders to keep the illegals from taking away American jobs. 2 birds 1 stone.
Anybody who believes there is 50 to 75 billion dollars in over payments in the CSRS fund has not read the OIG’s report, PRC’s report, OPM’s report, 2006 Postal Act, 2003 Postal Act, or the 1974 Postal Act. The 1974 Postal Act was passed by a Democrat controlled congress and set the formula for determining the payments into the CSRS fund for employees who worked for both the old Post Office Department and later the U S Postal Service. The post office is now complaining about the formula and wants it changed and made retro-active to 1971, hence you would create an overpayment.
As far as the 2006 Postal Act causing our red ink, let’s see:
2011 we are going to lose over 10 Billion but only 5..5 billion is from the prefunding,
2010 we lost 8.5 billion but only 5.5 billion was due to the prefunding.
2009 we lost 3.8 billion but only 1.4 bilion (Obama deffered 4 billion till 2016) was due to prefunding.
Looks like we’re bleeding red ink regardless of the prefunding, it just happens to make it worse.
wow. on the eve of collapse the APWU president cries foul. he’s very right about what the USPS and congress has done to the craft. (over and over for years) but when the dems controlled the house senate and white house hardly a whimper. we paid dues to these folks only to get ignored. now that the pendulum has swung the other way we’re screwed. our unions knew this was coming, and played politics with our jobs. screwed by the left and no sympathy from the right. we’re doomed. hope they all like their golden parachutes cause i figure i’ll be standing in some employment line while losing alot of my hard earned gains.
if only the idiots that elected “sirhan” Issa and his puppet Ross would watch this we might have a chance
Goofy is a shill of po mismanagement…….prefunding is not what destroyed the PO. 110,000 uneducated, corrupt, crony based, nepotism riddled po mismanagers of which 99% have no college education. stealing PFP bounus money on fraudlent & criminal number & report counts. this has been going on for 30 years….not since george w bush……anyone with over 6 years knows this is the truth.
I did not march, but was across the street with a friend and we had a bed sheet sign saying the corrupt po mismanagement is running PO for family, friends, mailing house lobbist’s & giving themselves criminal bounus money. local apwu tried to take sign away, local police car came over and I showed him my PBA card my brother gave me. cop told VP he would be arrested if he didnt get back across the street…….more people honked their horns at out sign and gave us thumbs up then the dopes accrossthe stree towing the corrupt party line of “save the post office lol……I got a lot of satisfaction doing my little part in showing the featherbedding between Goofy & Donehoe his master.
Wage Slave……….agree…….plain and simple!
Love You Ed…Yumpin Yimminey….Finally some straight talk!
Our only recourse is to educate the people around us. Your Neighbors, friends and family. Especially those Idiots who vote Republican. You know…the ones who claim to be “Proud Americans” and “Patriots” and call everything and everyone a socialist because its Fashionable. Why do these people vote against their own well being? The American Worker is NOT asking for any hand outs. Just a fair shake. Again, Thank You Ed
“dan”….I suggest that you and “john” should travel to D.C. and talk with Darrell Issa about what you think he should do about the USPS….maybe he will change his legislation so that you can get years added to your service along with “changes that people want” along with some of the other NOVEL IDEAS that are mentioned here and in your other posts on Postal Reporter….
Good luck….
“true blue”- both sides of what??
I disagree with your concept of “both sides”. There is only ONE SIDE….the Postal Service is getting FLEECED by Congress to the tune of almost six BILLION PER YEAR and the morons that are “Congress” refuse to fix the problem….the Cretin that controls the show, MR. DARRELL ISSA has HIS OWN “DESTROY THE POST OFFICE BILL” which is the ONLY THING WE WILL GET FROM THE HOUSE.
And in the Senate, we have “HERE’S JOHNNY” McCain with his MIRROR IMAGE BILL matching the Issa House Bill….I cannot determine how things will play out in the end, BUT IT DOES NOT LOOK GOOD FOR US AND THE USPS.
If you are one of these BI-PARTISAN folks who think that we should play KUMBYYA and cave to the FREAKAZOIDS that are working full time to PRIVATIZE THE PLACE, I think that you perhaps have your head pointed in the wrong direction.
Listen this ediot Eg does not know anything about what happend to the USP, all he talks with a lying tongh. this problem is from management from the past till present, because management making bad deals in lands and lavash ceo’s in which allow this great national service go down.
Also the employees that all this time giving their union money to the democratic party only to be dissapointed with empty services in return, so socket in, and maybe get ready for four more if the demacract wins.
sign independence!!!
Someone finally got it right
Give us five years added on to our service time and you will see a lot of people leave. BTW will not hurt the PO financially because it will be covered by the over payment to the retirement funds, in fact you will see an immediate reduction in overhead concerning salary, sick leave, annual leave, etc. Even if the PO offered money along with the time, it would still save money. Remember, no one gets to retire with 100% of their benefits or salary, plus you still have to pay taxes, health care, survivor benefits, etc., so Uncle Sam still collects and the USPS benefits financially. A win , win situation. It is time for our politicians to start using some common sense to solve the problem. The solution is right here. Do it by the end of the calendar year. Why wait? J.
any way you look at it, the postal service needs restructuring!!!! its old and out dated. the American people want change. we must close some offices and let go personnel. that’s the reality of it. time are a changing. smell the coffee. the post office is the last of the Mohicans.
Once again…THANK YOU GEORGE BUSH!
I just want to say thank you to Mr. Schultz and President Guffy of the American Postal Workers Union for letting the American people to see and hear the real truth about what is really happen to the U.S. Postal Service. This Great country of ours has turn to greed and a house divided that will not stand. While the world is watching on every news media.
We the American people should get out of the stock market all together and let it crash and teach major stock holders a lesson in the words of old. “We will not eat your cake”
Your right Jerry, I love my job at the p.o. But we do have some serious idiots on both sides. Craft and management. You would think with magnitude of the situation grownups with various ideas would commit but no, we get foul mouth ignorant kids. May god bless us because I don’t think congress will.
I and the rest of the postal employee’s should tip their hat to you Ed. I can think of no one on a national level that as been so supportive of the postal workers as you have. We need to get more on the band wagon to tell the truth about the postal service. I’m from Sagainw Mi and they want to (or have already decided to move our mail to the metroplex) without a fair study to determine if it will enhance delievery and save money. No one can have a fair study when the outcome has already been pre-determined. We had a picket at congressman Dave Camp’s office on Thursday trying to persuade him to back bill 1351. Will he? I doubt it as once you get to Washington you’re more worried about being one of the boys. We may have our troubles in this country and I honestly believe we’re working on those issues but being a republican or a democrat in D.C. proves that segregation is strong and thriving inside the belt-way. Webster needs to delete bi-partisian as congress can’t and never has come together (outside war) and We the People (I’ve heard of that somewhere) are the ones to suffer.
Wow Randall from the District of Columbia. Are you really that ignorant? I like it when morons like you get on here and try to be funny or sarcastic. Grow up idiot.
Hey Cliff, Do u want “Cheese with that Whine”? He he he!
Thanks Ed and Cliff!