NAPS: When Will the House Take Up Postal Reform?
NAPS Leg/Reg Update: 5/10/2012
The plans announced on Wednesday by the Postal Service to keep open thousands of rural post offices has neutralized one of the most controversial provisions in the House postal measure, backed by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and awaiting floor action. Numerous problems with the House legislation yet remain, and Republican House leaders have not yet signalled when they intend to bring the Issa legislation to the floor, but it could come next month.
House GOP hesitancy to bring their bill (HR 2309) to the floor has been caused by the some of the same rank-and-file concerns about facility closures that Senate backbenchers initially raised about the Senate bill in January that Democrat leaders had planned to bring to the floor. That pushback resulted three months later in passage of a revised and improved Senate measure. A similar backlash by Republican House lawmakers in recent months, many of them from rural districts, has turned against the Issa bill and especially against the closure of post offices during an election year. The Issa bill had proposed significant post office closures through a base-closure like commission approach. Read more
Sen. Carper: USPS Financial Losses Underscore Urgent Need for House to Act on Postal Reform Legislation
Filed under: Congress, postal, postal news, postal reform, press releases, usps
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, released the following reaction to the announcement that the U.S. Postal Service lost $3.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012:
“Today’s announcement that the U.S. Postal Service lost $3.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. This comes on the heels of several years of steep losses, including a $3.3 billion loss just last quarter, which historically is the Postal Service’s strongest financial quarter. The Postal Service can’t afford to continue hemorrhaging money like this and Congress can’t stand idly by and allow it to continue to creep towards collapse. The Postal Service supports a trillion dollar mailing industry and over eight million jobs. At a time when we’re fighting to create jobs and grow our economy, allowing the Postal Service to go under is simply not an option. As I have said time and time again, this is a dire situation but it is not hopeless – it does, however, require quick action from Congress to solve the problem. While the Postal Service is moving forward under its current authorities with some stopgap, piecemeal efforts to reduce costs, these measures don’t even begin to address the serious financial crisis facing this American institution. The reality is that Congress must pass comprehensive postal reform legislation to provide the Postal Service with the tools and resources it needs to not just survive in the 21st century, but to thrive. The Senate responded to this need for action by passing the bipartisan 21st Century Postal Service Act (S.1789) last month. While that legislation is not perfect, it includes meaningful reforms that respond to the Postal Service’s financial woes. Now the House must do its part and pass its own version of postal reform legislation. Every day that the House delays, the Postal Service loses $25 million. We can’t afford to wait any longer. It is my hope that the House will soon announce its plans for action so that Congress and the Administration can come together on a plan in to save the Postal Service before it’s too late.”
NAPS Applauds USPS Plans For Rural Post Offices
National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) President Louis Atkins released a statement today applauding the USPS’ decision to reform their plans for closure of Rural Post Offices :
The announcement by the Postal Service on May 9, 2012 that they were adjusting their plans on post office closings and their decision to maintain service for post offices throughout the country was indeed welcome news to NAPS.
Our concern from the time the Postal Service announced their original closure plans was that their plans were too aggressive and that the proposed changes could deny many citizens, particularly in those in rural America, from the opportunity to continue to have postal services in their local communities.
From the information the Postal Service has provided about continuation of service throughout the country, we believe that both business mailers and local communities now have the certainty of the Postal Service will continuing to maintain universal service throughout the country.
The Postal Service has served the mailing of every corner of the United States, from colonial times up to today. The announcement by the Postal Service will ensure that this obligation to serve the American public will continue into the future.
Our organization will continue to support the provisions of S1789 that received bipartisan support in the United States Senate and urge that the House of Representatives embrace the changes that are outlined in the Senate bill and complete a legislative initiative that supports the health and prosperity of the United States Postal Service.
USPS, APWU Agreement Upgrades Level 6 Maintenance Support Clerks, Updates Staffing
APWU Web News Article 55-2012, May 9, 2012
The APWU and USPS have reached an agreement that upgrades Level 6 Maintenance Support Clerk (MSC) positions one level and updates the staffing criterion for the position, Maintenance Director Steve Raymer has announced. The May 9 agreement [PDF] was reached as a result of the union’s protest of the Postal Service’s Oct. 27, 2011, notice of proposed changes to administrative staffing positions under Maintenance Management Order (MMO) 074-00 [PDF]. The Postal Service planned to overhaul the staffing chart based on an extensive survey and review of the duties and responsibilities of MSCs and the impact of technology on the position.
“The issues were fully discussed among all national Maintenance Craft officers, both headquarters officers and NBAs,” Raymer said. “We decided that resolving the matter would better serve our members than a protracted dispute. If we had chosen the latter course of action, the Postal Service would have unilaterally implemented the staffing changes, which would have had immediate and lasting negative effects on members holding MSC duty assignments. In the end, we believe the protections and gains we made warranted an agreement.”
The agreement provides that on the first day of the pay period immediately following issuance of MMO 057-12, all Level 6 MSC members will be upgraded one pay level. The upgrade will be implemented without any reposting of positions or other impact on the duty assignment, Raymer said. Read more
Fox News, Wrong Again In Story About USPS
APWU Web News Article 56-2012, May 9, 2012
Fox News may have set a new record for inaccurate reporting this week in a story about the Postal Service.
The story, which was broadcast on May 8 and posted on Fox’s Web site, frantically warns viewers and visitors that because of a bill approved by the Senate, “taxpayers may be on the hook for Postal Service losses.” The Web posting even has a handy “taxpayer calculator” that shows visitors “how much the bailout will cost you.”
There’s just one problem: As Fox admits, taxpayers don’t pay a dime to support the Postal Service. And nothing in the Senate bill would require them to start.
The piece is clearly designed to drum up support for a discredited House bill (H.R. 2309) sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), and to undermine support for a bill approved by the Senate on April 25. Read more
Senator Sanders: Good News, Bad News in New Postal Plan
Filed under: politics, post office closings, postal, postal news, usps
All Rural Post Office Saved, but Hours of Operation Cut
WASHINGTON, May 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe’s decision to abandon plans to close 3,600 rural post offices, including 15 in Vermont, but voiced reservations about a new plan to cut hours of operation.
Sanders called on the House to pass a Postal Service reform bill that a bipartisan majority of senators approved on April 25.
He said he is increasingly confident that many postal sorting facilities once slated for shutdowns will be spared, including one at White River Junction, Vt.
But he questioned aspects of Donahoe’s new plan, announced earlier today, to cut hours of operation at 13,000 post offices, including 145 in Vermont. Read more
Senator Carper Reacts to PMG’s Announcement on Cost-Cutting Measures for USPS
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service and co-author of the 21st Century Postal Service Act, released the following statement reacting to the Postmaster General’s announcement that the Postal Service would seek to reduce operating hours at post offices across the country and offer retirement incentives to postal employees:
“I am glad that many of the ideas presented today by the Postmaster General track closely with those included in the Senate bill, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, which I co-authored and which passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote in April. The Postal Service’s plan gives local communities a voice in ensuring that essential postal services are preserved by allowing them to select from a menu of service options while still allowing the Postal Service to reduce costs. It also encourages eligible postal employees to retire, saving additional money for the Postal Service. This proposal allows the Postal Service to move forward with some cost saving efforts by utilizing tools it currently has access to, but the reality is that the Postal Service is forced to rely on a limited toolbox because Congress has yet to pass comprehensive, long-term reform to give the Postal Service the resources and flexibility it needs to significantly address its financial challenges.
“Stopgap, piecemeal measures like the proposal offered today only address a small part of the problem and will not keep the Postal Service from an imminent collapse. This plan does not address some serious issues that continue to drain the Postal Service’s finances every day, including its costly retiree health care payments and past overpayments to the Federal Employee Retirement System – which total nearly $11 billion. Moreover, this solution doesn’t go far enough to encourage a responsible reduction in its workforce.
“The Postal Service needs a comprehensive solution, not more tinkering around the edges. The Senate passed a comprehensive bill that would modernize the Postal Service, allowing it to right-size and become competitive in the 21st century. Now, it’s up to the House to pass a bill. We can’t wait any longer.”
Senator Baucus Skeptical of Postal Service Plan to Cut Office Hours
Senator Urges House to Pass Senate’s Permanent Rural Protections into Law
(Washington, D.C.) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus said today he is reserving judgment until he hears from Montanans on the Postal Service’s proposal to cut office hours, but he is skeptical of any plan that is not in line with the spirit of the permanent rural protections he fought for in the Senate’s Postal Reform Bill. Baucus also pointed out that, just like closing rural offices, the proposal to cut hours does not make a dent in the Postal Services’ budget problems.
“I fought hard to get permanent protections in the Postal Reform Bill that will keep Montana post offices open for good, while also putting the Postal Service back on a path to financial security, so the real solution is for the House to do its part and pass this bill. Any plan that unfairly targets rural post offices doesn’t work for me, and this latest idea sounds like horse trading that leaves Montana offices vulnerable in the future and doesn’t address the big picture,” Baucus said.
The Postmaster General has stated that in order to become financially stable, the Postal Service must reduce spending by about $20 billion in the coming years.
The proposed nationwide changes in post office hours is estimated to save only $500 million annually once fully implemented.
The Senate bill puts the Postal Service well on the path toward stability by reducing spending by $19 billion by 2016, according to analysis provided by the Postal Service.
Baucus included protections to keep rural facilities open in the Senate bill, but without action in the House, the Postal Service will be free to shut down any of the 85 Montana offices it has proposed for closure after the moratorium expires on May 15. Last week, Baucus wrote a letter to Postmaster General Donahoe, along with Senator Tester calling for an extension of the current moratorium of post office closures so the House can consider the Senate bill.
Baucus’ amendments in the Senate Bill include:
- A one-year moratorium on the closure of rural post offices;
- Prohibition of closing any post office where another facility is not available within 10 miles driving distance, after the moratorium expires – this prohibits the closure of at least 90 percent of Montana post offices;
- Protections to ensure service standards are protected for seniors, businesses and Montana voters who vote by mail; and
- New service standard requirements that the Postmaster General has confirmed would prohibit the closure of Montana processing facilities that were previously proposed for consolidation – including Wolf Point, Helena and Butte.
Senator Collins’ Reaction to PMG’s Plans Regarding Small Post Offices
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, one of the lead sponsors of bipartisan, comprehensive postal reform legislation, issued the following statement regarding the Postmaster General’s comments today about rural post offices.
Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced that none of the 3,200 post offices slated for closure last year will be forcibly shuttered. However, about 13,000 post offices will either have work hours reduced, be co-located at a nearby business such as the local pharmacy, merged with another location, or service will be provided to residents and businesses in the affected community by either rural carrier or highway contract route.
“I am cautiously optimistic that the Postmaster General has now devised a plan that will help preserve some essential postal services for rural America, while allowing the Postal Service to reduce its costs as it must do. Reduced hours at certain post offices or their co-location with another facility or a retail store, if properly designed, could well accomplish both goals. To be effective, such a plan must, however, take into account people’s schedules and post offices should be open at times convenient to their customers. The fact is, there are many options to cut costs and expand revenue while preserving service, such as: reducing the size of processing plants without closing them, shifting hours of some post offices, permitting other state or local services to be administered at post offices, or moving tiny post offices into grocery or other stores within the same community.
“It’s good news if, indeed, most of the 3,200 smaller post offices currently targeted by the Postal Service will not close, but rather that creative ways to reduce their costs will be explored. Involving communities and providing different options for mail service will both save the Postal Service money and also continue to ensure timely and effective access to postal services for customers. There should be clear minimum standards for service — which we establish in the bill just passed through the Senate — and communities should have a real voice in the decision.
“It is good news as well that the Postmaster General apparently has decided to implement some of the common-sense suggestions many of us have been urging for more than a year. I remain troubled that processing facilities could still be closed beginning just next week, which makes no sense at all given the progress on postal reform legislation. I expect to discuss this issue with the Postmaster General later today.”
APWU: Settlement Clarifies 204B Language
(05/08/12) The APWU has reached a Step 4 settlement [PDF] with the Postal Service that clarifies language in the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) regarding the eligibility of Maintenance Craft employees who were detailed to non-bargaining unit positions to obtain preferred duty assignments, Maintenance Director Steve Raymer has announced.
To be eligible for different duty assignments in their current occupational groups, employees on 204B details must return to the craft for an entire continuous pay period prior to the date of posting of job award notices.
In addition, the agreement stipulates that to avoid having their duty assignments posted to the craft for filling, employees must return to the craft for a continuous pay period that must have commenced prior to the end of four months in the non-bargaining unit details.
During the 2010 negotiations, the union and management agreed to clarify Article 38.7 of the 2006 contract, Raymer said. The May 7, 2012, settlement uses language from the 2010-2015 CBA to indicate that the provisions mean the same thing.