NAPS To Congress: USPS Network Plans and Elimination of Next-Day Delivery Will Contribute to its Demise
Filed under: Congress, NAPS, postal, postal news, postal supervisors, usps
From the National Association of Postal Supervisors
“NAPS sent to the full House and Senate Committees expressing our position on the Postal Service’s plans to consolidate and close processing facilities along with our recommendations for a legislative solution.” Read more
Testimony from Joint Senate and House Hearing on the USPS
Video: United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs : Hearings
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
02:30 PM
Dirksen Senate Office Building, room G-50
Member Statements
- Senator Thomas R. Carper [view statement]
Witnesses
Panel 1
- H. James Gooden [view testimony]
Chairman, Board of Directors
American Lung Association - Donald Hall, Jr. [view testimony]
President and Chief Executive Officer
Hallmark Cards, Inc. - Allen Abbott [view testimony]
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
MenStyle, Inc. - Keith McFalls [view testimony]
Vice President of Operations, PrimeMail and Triessant
Prime Therapeutics - Paul Misener [view testimony]
Vice President of Global Public Policy
Amazon.com - Paul Misener [view testimony]
Vice President of Global Public Policy
Amazon.com - Andrew Rendich [view testimony]
Chief Service and DVD Operations Officer
Netflix, Inc.
Panel 2
- Don Cantriel [view testimony]
President
National Rural Letter Carriers Association - Mr. Frederic Rolando [view testimony]
President
National Association of Letter Carriers - William Burrus [view testimony]
President
American Postal Workers Union - Richard Collins [view testimony]
Assistant to the President
National Postal Mail Handlers Union - Louis Atkins [view testimony]
Executive Vice President
National Association of Postal Supervisors - Charles Mapa [view testimony]
President
National League of Postmasters - Robert Rapoza [view testimony]
President
National Association of Postmasters of the United States
House and Senate Joint Hearing to Discuss USPS Future Financial Viability
Press Release via PostCom
Hearing will examine proposed USPS operational strategies and reforms from the perspective of customers and employee/management groups
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. in room G50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security and the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia will hold a joint oversight hearing entitled, “Having Their Say: Customer and Employee Views on the Future of the Postal Service.”
Specifically, the hearing will examine various mailer, union, and management association views on improving the financial condition of the Postal Service in response to recent reports on the short- and long-term strategies for a viable and financially sound United States Postal Service.
“With mail volume projected to be at a low 167 billion pieces, the Postal Service is expecting to end fiscal year 2010 with a loss of over $7 billion. Given these figures, it is imperative that we are forward thinking and innovative in our planning if we are serious about improving the Postal Services’ financial conditions,” said Chairman Stephen F. Lynch. “Customers and employees represent critical elements of the postal industry. Therefore, hearing their ideas and concerns are essential before we embark on any proposed reforms, or legislate drastic changes.”
According to a recent GAO report, given current mail volume declines, the Postal Service’s existing business model is no longer viable. In light of this, decisions must be made about reducing operations, improving efficiency, and increasing product and pricing flexibility. Focusing on those that are most associated with the Service, the hearing will solicit comments on a host of Postal issues, including delivery frequency, network realignment, and employee retiree health benefit obligations.
“Major changes are needed if we expect the Postal Service to continue providing the products and services that so many Americans depend on,” said Sen. Carper. “I look forward to hearing suggestions and plans from the Postal Service’s employees and customers who rely on the Postal Service daily at our hearing. It is imperative that Congress, postal management, postal employees, customers and other stakeholders give up on old fights and biases and work together to cut the Postal Service’s costs and adjust its operations to meet a changing environment.
Stakeholders on both sides of the issue must make shared sacrifices and work together to implement these common sense measures in order to ensure that the Postal Service remains viable in the 21st Century.”
Witness testimonies the Chairman’s opening statement, and a 2:30 p.m. live broadcast of the hearing can be found on the Subcommittee’s website, www.federalworkforce.oversight.house.gov
House and Senate to Hold Joint Hearing On Customer and Employee Views Of USPS
On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. in room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia and the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Management, Government Information, Federal Service, and International Security will hold a joint hearing entitled, “Having Their Say: Customer and Employee Views on the Future of the U.S. Postal Service.”
The economic downturn and the continued electronic diversion of mail, coupled with an aggressive retiree health pre-payment schedule have combined to put the Postal Service in financial crisis. A recent analysis of the future of the mail conducted on behalf of the Postal Service showed that mail volume may not recover along with the economy – further deteriorating the Postal Service’s financial condition in the years to come. Moreover, in its April 12 report entitled, “U.S. Postal Service: Strategies and Options to Facilitate Progress Toward Financial Viability,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the Postal Service’s current business model is not viable. To that end, the upcoming joint hearing is intended to provide customer and employee stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the economic difficulties currently facing the Postal Service and to respond to plans postal management and GAO have put forth to address them.
“Having their say: customer and employee views on the future of the US Postal Service
FERS Sick Leave Credit Passes House-Senate Conference Committee (No More FERS Flu)
RE-EMPLOYED ANNUITANT AND FERS SICK LEAVE BILLS IN FINAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
NARFE, October 7, 2009
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) President Margaret L. Baptiste today praised Senators Carl Levin, D-MI, and John McCain, R-AZ, and Reps. Ike Skelton, D-MO, and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-CA, (the chairs and ranking members of their respective chambers’ Armed Services Committees) and other members of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization conference committee for including several civil service improvements in the final legislation.
The final agreement would allow federal agencies to re-employ federal retirees on a limited, part-time basis without offset of annuity; permit Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) workers to initially credit half, and later all, of their unused sick leave toward retirement; and provide for retirement equity for Federal employees in Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Territories. The Conference Agreement is expected to pass the House and Senate.
“During the past several years, NARFE has played a leading role, along with other federal and postal employee organizations, in overcoming several obstacles to pass these needed civil service improvements,” President Baptiste said. “For example, absent NARFE’s persistence, legislation (S. 629) sponsored by Senators Susan Collins, R-ME, Herb Kohl, D-WI, and George Voinovich, R-OH, to allow federal retirees to be re-employed by the government would not have been included in the final Defense bill. Many Federal retirees continue to make critical contributions to our safety and well-being during this time of national need and when workforce shortages have deprived some agencies of employees with critical and specialized skills,” Baptiste said. “This is a victory for active and retired federal employees.”
Baptiste was particularly pleased that a compromise was reached on the FERS sick leave legislation by phasing in the allowance. When Congress created FERS in 1986, the benefit of allowing workers to apply their unused sick leave toward retirement was traded off for other FERS benefits not available under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). “However, with the benefit of 23 years of hindsight, we recognize that the inequity in the treatment of accrued sick leave between FERS and CSRS has hurt productivity and increased agency costs. For that reason, we have strongly supported the concept that all federal civilian retirement programs credit unused sick leave toward retirement,” Baptiste said.
The NARFE president specifically lauded Rep. James Moran, D-VA, for introducing his own FERS sick leave equity bill (H.R. 958) and for being a long-time champion of the issue. Baptiste also commended Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-NY, Stephen Lynch, D-MA, and Senators Joseph Lieberman, I-CT, Susan Collins, R-ME, Daniel Akaka, D-HI and James Webb, D-VA, who served as the Defense bill conferees, for helping to persuade their colleagues to include the civil service provisions. In addition, she thanked Reps. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, Chris Van Hollen, D-MD, Frank Wolf, R-VA, Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC, Gerry E. Connolly, D-VA, Paul Sarbanes, D-MD, Donna Edwards, D-MD, Elijah Cummings, D-MD, and C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, D-MD, for the significant role they played in this victory on behalf of NARFE and the federal/postal community.
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NARFE, one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/ retiree organization, NARFE represents the retirement interests of nearly 5 million current and future federal annuitants, spouses, and survivors.