APWU: Although the Postal Reform Bill is Flawed -It’s better than the Original
APWU News Bulletin 12-2012, April 27, 2012
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The Senate passed an amended version of the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) on April 25, and legislative action on postal reform will now move to the House of Representatives.
“Although the bill is flawed, the amended version is far better than the original,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “That is a result of the tremendous effort of APWU members, postal customers, and elected officials who appreciate the importance of the Postal Service to American life. Thank you for your hard work,” he said.
“With the moratorium on the closure of mail processing plants and post offices set to expire on May 15, we must now turn our attention to the House. We expect to face very tough challenges there,” Guffey said. “But we will do everything we can to get a good bill. We call on our members, small businesses, individual customers, and lawmakers to re-double our efforts to Save America’s Postal Service.”
“House leaders have not yet given any indication of how they plan to proceed,” said Myke Reid, APWU Legislative and Political director.
The House could consider H.R. 2309, a bill sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), which would destroy the Postal Service. More than half of the members of the House are co-sponsors of another bill, H.R. 1351, which postal unions support, but Rep. Issa, the chairman of the House committee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service, has refused to allow it to come up for a vote. The House also could consider the Senate bill.
A Mixed Bag
“The Senate bill is a mixed bag,” Guffey said. It would provide the USPS, which is facing imminent collapse, with short-term financial relief, by returning $11 billion in USPS overpayments to federal pension funds to the Postal Service. “Keep in mind,” Guffey said, “this is money paid by postal customers, workers and the Postal Service – not taxpayers.”
The legislation also would restructure USPS payments to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees, spreading the payments over 40 years – instead of the current 10 – and reducing the funding mandate from 100 percent to 80 percent. No other government agency or private company is required to make such payments.
“These are positive steps,” Guffey said, “but they do not go far enough. As a result, the USPS will not have access to the capital it needs to meet the challenges of the future,” he said.
Closings, Consolidations
Another improvement, Guffey said, is that the 21st Century Postal Service Act would allow more community input in the decision-making process for closing or consolidating post offices and postal facilities. It also would give the Postal Regulatory Commission authority to reverse USPS decisions on these issues.
In addition, the bill would provide limited protection for service standards for a minimum of three years. “Although we sought stronger, longer safeguards, this is an improvement over the original bill, which did nothing to preserve service,” Guffey said. “Protecting service is essential to preserving the Postal Service – and postal jobs.”
But the legislation also would have devastating consequences for the thousands of postal and federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP), Guffey noted.
Among other provisions, the bill would authorize the Postal Service to offer retirement incentives. It also would allow the USPS to negotiate with postal unions to create a health plan separate from the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program.
The legislation also would require arbitrators to consider the financial condition of the Postal Service, along with other relevant factors.
For the latest news, visit www.apwu.org.
APWU’s Largest Local Elects New President
Former Vice-President Jonathan Smith Ousts 3-term President Clarice Torrence
Here is the press release from the United for Change Slate:
Besieged Postal Workers Pick New Union President.
Jonathan Smith Defeats 3-Term Incumbent.
United For Change Slate Sweeps APWU NY Metro Area Election
April 26, 2012 Postal clerks, motor vehicle operators, and maintenance workers in Manhattan, the Bronx, and two processing facilities in New Jersey have overwhelmingly elected Jonathan Smith and the United For Change Slate in a hotly contested election.
Clarice Torrence, three-term incumbent was ousted in a strong rebuke by the membership of the New York Metro local, the largest in the American Postal Workers Union. Torrence who had won three previous elections by small margins, was defeated by Jonathan Smith and his slate.
Jonathan Smith received 51.9% of the vote; Clarice Torrence running on the Power to the Workers Slate, 30%; Bruce Webster of the Voice of the Members Slate, 16.68%; and Betty Reid running as an independent presidential candidate, 1.3%. Jonathan Smith; Tiffany Foster; Daniel Zachman, Jr.; Sharon Tyrrell; and Kevin Walsh have been elected New York Metro Area Postal Union full-time officers. The induction of the new officers will take place at the general membership meeting on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
APWU:’Potential’ Consolidation List Not Reliable
APWU Web News Article 47-2012, April 26, 2012
A “potential consolidation list” [PDF] developed by the Postal Service and provided to members of the Senate on April 24 has generated a lot of interest at postal facilities across the country, but it is not an official management proposal or reliable list, the union is warning. Mail processing facilities are identified on the list as “Potential to Remain Open” or “Potential to Consolidate.”
In an April 24, 2012, Mandatory Stand-Up Talk, [PDF] the USPS wrote that the senators “requested details on what a potential mail processing and distribution network would look like, if modeled under proposed service standards contained in the bill, which would maintain overnight service for intra-SCF volume.”
The Postal Service has made clear that the list is not final, writing, “It is possible that further refinements to the model will be necessary.
“Details about the modeled network request may be appearing in the news media,” management wrote. “The Postal Service therefore wishes to clarify that information provided to the Senate does not represent a new Postal Service proposal, and should not be interpreted as a new Network Rationalization plan.”
“Management provided the list to the APWU for informational purposes, but does not consider the list official notification to the union of any decisions on consolidation,” said Executive Vice President Greg Bell.
“Although the Senate approved S. 1789 on April 25, the legislation is not final,” he pointed out. The House of Representatives must approve legislation, a conference committee must resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, both chambers must pass the conference version, and the President must sign it. The next phase of our struggle will be in the House of Representatives.
Click here to see the April 24 USPS NewsBreak.
USPS puts Consolidations on “Hold”
Filed under: APWU, politics, post office closings, postal, postal news, usps
Northwest Illinois Area Local,American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO
Earlier this month USPS officials met with Postal Employees at the Carol Stream Mail Processing Center in Illinois and informed them of the following:
Carol Stream Meets with Employees..
Carol Stream met with employees on tour 1 and tour 3 in a series of one hour meetings to present information on staffing changes they will make when service standards change on 5-19-12, unless congress stops it. Mr. Colao and his staff worked up a power point presentation that aided in providing information on what is happening on the plant consolidations, what jobs will be posted for CS mail processing, and what the timeline of events will be for the staffing changes planned for 5-19-12. The change in service standards will change mail processing from a tour 1 to a tour 2 operation and bids will be shifted accordingly. Employees were given a hand-out listing the bids that will be posted in each unit as they left. As Mr. Colao said they want to give employees as much time as possible to review the new jobs because they will begin retreat right canvassing on 4-2-12.
But recently the Postal Employees were told:
USPS puts Optimization Plans on “Hold”
Employees are by now aware that the staffing changes planned for 5-19-12 are on hold. Carol Stream In-Plant Manager John Colao stopped canvassing for tour 2 retreat rights and has not issued any abolishment letters at CS. CS will continue to get Fox Valley LO-11 mail. Palatine Plant Manager Chuck Sciurba called me on 4-19-12 to confirm that the changes are on hold per Headquarters and no staffing changes will occur on 5-19-12. He confirmed that all Palatine abolishment letters will be rescinded. The consolidation of Chicago PARS mail to Palatine is also on hold. The reason that USPS has placed optimization plans on hold is because the Senate is discussing S. 1789, the 21st Century Postal Service Act. The 79 amendments submitted as of 4-19-12 have been reduced to 39. There is talk of an early out being offered but no official announcement.
Senate Approves Amended Postal Bill
Next Up: The House of Representatives
The Senate passed an amended version of the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) on April 25 by a vote of 62-37. “Although the bill is flawed, the amended version is far better than the original,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “That is a result of the tremendous effort of APWU members, postal customers, and elected officials who appreciate the importance of the Postal Service to American life. Thank you for your hard work.”
The bill will provide the USPS, which is facing imminent collapse, with short-term financial relief, by returning $11 billion in USPS overpayments to federal pension funds to the Postal Service. “Keep in mind,” Guffey said, “this is money paid by postal customers, workers and the Postal Service – not taxpayers.”
The bill also will provide some protection for service standards for a minimum of three years. “Although we sought stronger, longer safeguards, this is an improvement over the original bill, which did nothing to preserve service,” Guffey said. “Protecting service is essential to preserving the Postal Service,” he said.
The bill fails to provide the Postal Service with the relief it needs to meet the challenges of the future, Guffey said. “Although the bill will provide the USPS with limited relief from the requirement to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees, it does not provide sufficient relief. As a result, the USPS will not have access to the capital it needs to meet the challenges of the future,” he said.
The bill also will have devastating consequences for the thousands of postal and federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP), Guffey noted.
“We will now take our fight to the House of Representatives,” Guffey said, “where we hope to improve the bill.
“We call on our members, small businesses, individual customers, and lawmakers to re-double our efforts to Save America’s Postal Service.”
APWU: Voting Begins on Postal Bill, Important Votes Set for April 25
Filed under: APWU, politics, postal, postal news, postal reform, usps
APWU Web News Article 45-2012, April 24 , 2012
The Senate began voting on amendments to the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) on April 24, with action on the bill expected to be wrapped up in the Senate on April 25.
Still to be voted on is Amendment #2042, offered by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), which would maintain current delivery standards for four years. The amendment would not prevent all plant closures, but it would stop the USPS from implementing its “slash and burn” strategy to close or consolidate more than 200 mail processing facilities, shut 3,600 post offices, eliminate overnight delivery of first-class mail and generally slow mail delivery, said APWU President Cliff Guffey.
The APWU supports the amendment, and is urging union members to contact their senators before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, to ask them to vote in favor of the measure. “There is still time to contact both of your senators to ask them to support Sen. Casey’s amendment,” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid. To send your senators a message in support of this amendment, click here.
“USPS officials have demonstrated that they will attempt to slash service — unless Congress stops them,” Guffey said.
Action on Amendments
Among the votes taken on April 24 were the following:
Senators voted in favor of Amendment #2056, offered by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), which would modify the process for closing or consolidating post offices and postal facilities. The APWU supported the amendment, which was approved by a voice vote.
The senators voted against Amendment #2034, by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), which would have replaced provisions that would be financially devastating to thousands of postal and federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP). The APWU supported the amendment, which was disapproved by a vote of 46-53.
Senators adopted Amendment #2020, offered by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), which would require the Postal Service to consider the effect of closing or consolidating a postal facility on the ability of the affected community to vote by mail. This amendment, which the APWU supported, passed by a voice vote.
Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) Amendment #2061, which would require retirement-eligible employees of the Postal Service to retire, was defeated by a vote of 33-65. The APWU opposed the amendment.
Sen. Corker’s (R-TN) Amendment #2083 also was voted down, by a vote of 29-70. It would have prohibited “no-layoff” clauses from postal collective bargaining agreements; removed a provision from current law that ensures benefits for employees cannot be lower than those in effect in 1971, and required a switch to five-day mail delivery. The APWU opposed the amendment.
Amendment # 2033, offered by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), which would have established a BRAC-like (Base Realignment and Closure) Commission on Postal Reorganization. This amendment, which the APWU opposed, failed with a vote of 30-69.
Amendment #2043, offered by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), to strike provisions that call for the Postal Service to go to five-day service in two years, was defeated by a vote of 43-56. The APWU supported the amendment.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) offered Amendment #2025, which would end the mailbox use monopoly, which the APWU opposed. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 35-64.
Click here [PDF] to read a section-by-section summary of the revised bill.
APWU: Senate Set to Vote on Postal Reform Bill
Filed under: APWU, Congress, postal, postal news, postal reform, usps
APWU Web News Article 44-2012, April 24 , 2012
The Senate will vote on the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) on Tuesday, April 24, with action expected to begin at approximately 2:15 p.m.
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Sen. Casey’s Amendment #2042
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Senators will be asked to consider a revised version of the legislation, which the bill’s sponsors introduced on April 17, along with up to 38 other amendments.
“It is crucial that APWU members let their senators know where we stand on this important bill,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “With the moratorium on the closure of mail processing plants and post offices set to expire on May 15, we must do everything we can to improve the legislation,” he said.
“The revised bill is better than the original,” he said, “but it doesn’t do enough to ensure the USPS will be able to continue to provide the service the American people have every right to expect.”
The Amendments
The revised bill does not provide sufficient protection for current service standards, Guffey said. “It offers some safeguards, but it does not maintain service standards at current levels. Furthermore, the protection would expire after three years,” he noted.
“USPS officials have demonstrated that they will attempt to slash service, close hundred of mail processing facilities, and shut thousands of post offices — unless Congress stops them,” he said.
For that reason, the APWU is urging members to contact their senators and ask them to support several critical amendments. An amendment offered by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) would maintain current delivery standards for four years. The amendment (#2042) would not prevent all consolidations, but it would stop the USPS from implementing its “slash and burn” strategy, Guffey said.
The union is also asking APWU members to seek support from their senators for an amendment (#2056) submitted by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) that would modify the process for closing or consolidating post offices and postal facilities.
The APWU is also asking union members to encourage their senators to support an amendment (#2034) offered by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) to replace provisions that would be financially devastating to thousands of postal and federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP).
“The union supports numerous other amendments,” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid. “At the national level, we will be weighing in with senators and staff on the others.” The three mentioned above are the most important to APWU members, he said.
“After the amendments have been voted on, we will evaluate the bill and decide whether we can support the final product,” he said. “Please remain vigilant. We will provide additional information as it develops.”
| They’re At It Again!
Right-wing labor haters are at it again! Among the amendments submitted are: A proposal by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to eliminate collective bargaining and another to end the USPS monopoly on first-class mail; an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to require retirement-eligible employees to retire and another to establish “alternatives to post offices;” and an amendment by Sen. John McCain to adopt the hated House bill H.R. 2309. The APWU response? NO WAY! |
Click here [PDF] to read a section-by-section summary of the revised bill.
APWU: Senate to Debate, Vote On Postal Bill Starting April 23
Filed under: APWU, Congress, postal, postal news, postal reform, usps
APWU Members Must Let Senators Know Where We Stand
APWU News Bulletin 11-2012, April 20, 2012
The Senate will debate the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) beginning on Monday, April 23, with voting set to begin on Tuesday, April 24, as a result of an agreement by Senate leaders.
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Senators will be asked to consider a revised version of the legislation, which the bill’s sponsors introduced on April 17, along with up to 38 other amendments.
“It is crucial that APWU members let their senators know where we stand on this important bill,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “With the moratorium on the closure of mail processing plants and post offices set to expire on May 15, we must do everything we can to improve the legislation,” he said.
“The revised bill is better than the original,” he said, “but it doesn’t do enough to ensure the USPS will be able to continue to provide the service the American people have every right to expect.”
The Amendments
The revised bill does not provide sufficient protection for current service standards, Guffey said. “It offers some safeguards, but it does not maintain service standards at current levels. Furthermore, the protection would expire after three years,” he noted.
“USPS officials have demonstrated that they will attempt to slash service, close hundred of mail processing facilities, and shut thousands of post offices — unless Congress stops them,” he said.
For that reason, the APWU is urging members to contact their senators and ask them to support several critical amendments. An amendment offered by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) would maintain current delivery standards for four years. The amendment (#2042) would not prevent all consolidations, but it would stop the USPS from implementing its “slash and burn” strategy, Guffey said.
The union is also asking APWU members to seek support from their senators for an amendment (#2056) submitted by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) that would modify the process for closing or consolidating post offices and postal facilities.
The APWU is also asking union members to encourage their senators to support an amendment (#2034) offered by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) to replace provisions that would be financially devastating to thousands of postal and federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP).
“The union supports numerous other amendments,” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid. “At the national level, we will be weighing in with senators and staff on the others.” The three mentioned above are the most important to APWU members, he said.
“After the amendments have been voted on, we will evaluate the bill and decide whether we can support the final product,” he said. “Please remain vigilant. We will provide additional information as it develops.”
| They’re At It Again!
Right-wing labor haters are at it again! Among the amendments submitted are: A proposal by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to eliminate collective bargaining and another to end the USPS monopoly on first-class mail; an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to require retirement-eligible employees to retire and another to establish “alternatives to post offices;” and an amendment by Sen. John McCain to adopt the hated House bill H.R. 2309. The APWU response? NO WAY! |
Section-by-section summary of the revised S. 1789 postal bill
The Senate is expected to resume consideration of a revised version of S. 1789 [PDF], the 21st Century Postal Service Act, with proceedings broadcast and Webcast live on C-SPAN. Consideration of the bill began on April 17.
“We are analyzing the new provisions carefully and will comment once we have completed our review,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. The APWU denounced the original version of the bill, saying it would lead to degradation of service and the closure of hundreds of mail processing centers and thousands of post offices. Read more
APWU and Retiree Sue USPS, Accounting Manager
The APWU and a retired union member filed a complaint [PDF] in federal court against the Postal Service and a manager in the Accounting Service Center in Eagan MN on April 2, charging they have violated the Debt Collection Act and the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The complaint contends that the USPS and the manager routinely violate the rights of retired employees who have appealed Letters of Demand by improperly instructing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to withhold portions of retirees’ monthly annuities. Letters of Demand are issued when management alleges an employee is responsible for a financial loss to the Postal Service. The letters are subject to appeal through the grievance procedure and collection of alleged debts must be postponed until appeals have been exhausted.
The complaint asserts that the Postal Service issued a Letter of Demand to Rosebud Grant for more than $75,000, on April 21, 2009, when she was a Self Service Center Technician. Grant disputed the alleged debt, contended she was not responsible for the loss, and filed a grievance, which has not been adjudicated. In accordance with Article 28.4 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) and the Debt Collection Act, collection of the alleged debt should have been held in abeyance until disposition of the grievance.
The USPS manager disregarded these provisions, the complaint asserts, despite pleas from the local union, the national APWU, and even local managers. Instead, the manager falsely certified that Grant had received “due process” and asked OPM to deduct half of her annuity check each month. OPM honored the manager’s request.
Grant has suffered great financial and emotional distress as a result, the suit says. She “has exhausted her savings and been unable to pay other debts which she would have been able to pay had she received the full annuity payments to which she was entitled. Grant has had to forgo the retirement she has earned and to take on a job to be able to afford the basic necessities of life,” the complaint asserts.
The case is part of a consistent pattern by the manager, which postal officials have failed to correct, the suit alleges.
The complaint notes that:
“The APWU at the National Level has asked the Postal Service’s national labor relations officials to intervene to correct [the manager’s] unlawful practices, and the Postal Service officials reported to the APWU that they are unable to stop [his] practices. As recently as July 8, 2011, Headquarters level labor relations management officials informed the APWU that they have had ‘no luck’ convincing [the manager] to change his unlawful practices.”
Furthermore, the complaint says:
In early January 2012, the Union again brought the situation to the attention of Postal Service officials, including the Postmaster General of the United States. Postal officials promised to investigate, but to date have taken no action to correct the unlawful deductions from annuitants’ retirement payments authorized by [the manager’s] false certifications to OPM on OPM Standard Form 2805.
An Unusual Case
The case is unusual for two reasons: It names an individual manager (along with the Postal Service) as a defendant. This is permissible is this case, APWU attorneys explain, because Grant has no other forum to address her complaint. As a retiree, she didn’t have access to the grievance procedure to protest the violation of her legal rights.
A new provision of Article of 15 of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement allows retirees to file grievances to challenge alleged debts. Despite the new language, however, the manager in question continues to refuse to hold debts in abeyance, the complaint notes.
The case is also unusual because of the admission by top-ranking postal officials that they are powerless to force the manager to adhere to the Collective Bargaining Agreement and federal law.
APWU President Cliff Guffey commented: “The Postal Service’s treatment of Sister Rosebud Grant is outrageous and unjust. Unfortunately, Sister Grant is not the only one in this predicament. This has been a standard practice by the manager named in the lawsuit.
“What is most outrageous is the Postal Service’s inability to make the manager obey the Constitution, the Debt Collection Act and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”