Editorial: USPS, NALC and Mail Handlers’ Negotiations
I have been asked to speculate on the breakdown of contract negotiations between the Postal Service, the Letter Carriers and the Mail Handlers. Having received no information directly from the negotiators or from anyone directly associated with the negotiators, I cannot speak with authority on the subjects discussed or the exact points in dispute leading to the termination of negotiations. Nevertheless having been involved in 13 contract negotiations, I can point to the most likely scenario and what issues are in play. Read more
Burrus: Open Letter to Senator Tom Carper on Postal Reform Bill
November 17, 2011
The Honorable Senator Thomas Carper
513 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
513 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Carper:
I no longer serve as President of the American Postal Workers Union so I do not have the privilege of meeting with you on postal matters and sharing experiences about our mutual connections to the State of West Virginia. During one visit you graciously introduced me to your son who demonstrated the making of a productive career; I want to wish him well.
The purpose of writing this open letter is to put in perspective current efforts to reform the Postal Service. It is undeniable that legislation is necessary to address the short and long term finances of the United States Postal Service. It serves no purpose for me to engage in the causes of this financial dilemma because regardless of the reasons, legislation is necessary to continue government mail services into the future. I do want to bring to your attention the contradictions in the Bills introduced in the House and Senate, most notably, S. 1789, which you are a co-sponsor and avid supporter. Read more
Postal Employees Should Delay Retirement Until Passage of Postal Reform Bill
All APWU represented employees who are retirement eligible should consider delaying their retirement until the Postal Reform efforts have been concluded. Each of the legislative initiatives (Issa – Carper – Obama) includes the return of the $7 billion overpayment with authorization to use it for retirement incentives. Retroactivity is probably unachievable so to secure eligibility, employees should protect themselves. If the $7 billion is returned, postal management has an incentive to replace existing employees with new hires whose wages will be significantly less. Read more
Burrus: Questions and Answers Defining the 2011 USPS-APWU National Agreement
Questions and Answers defining the 2011 national agreement will be invaluable in the enforcement of the newly negotiated provisions; however they omit a number of important subjects such as those referenced below. Perhaps the language is sufficiently clear that clarification is not required to explain the agreement that:
* Reduces wages up to 60% for newly hired employees for the performance of the same work;
* Permits involuntary reassignment as far as required under consolidations;
* Permits PSEs to bump full time employees from assignments when senior employees do not want to accept the conversion to NTA;
* Permits management to establish the pay rate for employees whose work is assumed by the Postal Service.
Bill Burrus
Burrus Journal – Questions & Answers Defining The 2011 Agreement
Burrus: Pick Your Fight
One of the web sites that focuses on postal issues recently suggests that I favor “throwing in the towel” on 5 day delivery by supporting the Obama plan for postal reform. This analysis misinterprets my suggested course for addressing the USPS’ dilemma. The choices offered in this political struggle are:
1. Issa/Ross – Carper/McCain
a. A Republican controlled House and
b. A Democratic Chairman in the Senate who accepts the GAO report
2. Obama proposal that includes 5 day delivery
3. HR 1351 which has major obstacles in the House and Senate. The path to passage would require a miracle and even then you would be only half way there, requiring Senate confirmation
Each of these options is unacceptable in their present form but the Obama fight is much more targeted and would be among friends
I do not suggest “throwing in the towel on 5 day delivery” but settling on a specific target and directing all the guns in one direction. It gives you a better chance of hitting something you want to eat.
And to the blogger who continues to write about the timing of my retirement, I suggest that when he reaches 53 years of service at the age of 75 he will be qualified to question my decision.
Burrus: What’s Next for the Issa-Ross Bill
Filed under: politics, postal, postal news, postal reform, usps
The Issa/Ross Bill has now been voted out of Committee but it is a long way from finalization. It is a disappointment that the progressive forces were unable to substitute HR 1351 for the regressive legislation intended to break postal unions and continue the long standing practice of using USPS’ revenues as the piggy bank of the federal government. HR 2309 was on a fast track to adoption by the Committee but it was unfortunate that those who supported the Lynch Bill did not immediately discredit the request to GAO as a political stunt.
This political maneuver was similar to the Bush appointment of a Presidential Commission to make recommendations for postal reform. We were able to caste suspicions of a done deal prior to the issuance of the final report, removing it as a defense for draconian change. In this instance, Representatives who wanted to toe the party line were able to cite the GAO report as official review with feigned legitimacy. Read more
Burrus: From Here to there – Focus is now turned to the hiring of PSEs
Filed under: Articles, postal, postal news, postal support employee, usps
My opposition to the new national agreement is well chronicled as I voiced my opinions about the significant changes that would be made to postal employment but the ratification process is now history and focus must be centered on its application and to the issues of the day. Contrary to the opinions of nonunion members, the decisions of the union do make a difference and sticking your head in the sand will not make them go away.
This contract was finalized at a time when forces beyond the collective bargaining arena are shaping the USPS’ future in ways far beyond the contractual restrictions. Negotiated provisions will be inapplicable to the resulting impact on workers and the American public. As I shared in my perspective “Will the Postal Service Survive” it will be the Congress of the United States that will write the final chapter governing postal employment and postal services. Read more
Burrus Letter cites tax subsidies provided to Issa and Republicans political supporters
Former APWU President William Burrus sent the following letter to Rep. Darrell Issa:
Congressman Darrell Issa
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
2157 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20015-6143
Mr. Chairman,
I am William Burrus, President Emeritus of the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO and I take strong exception to your letter of July 11, 2011 to President Guffey of our union. I no longer speak for the union but as a user of postal services and a continuing member and voter I must expose your allegation that the APWU advertisement is misleading to the American public.
Political messages must be tailored to the time and currently the American public is being exposed to the debate over government spending in the political effort to enact legislation that will govern the nation’s debt limit. In these discussions you and your party have taken an inflexible position that tax subsidies provided to your political supporters should be viewed as “jobs creators” and should be considered off limits for inclusion in a package for future savings. Conversely you choose to characterize the relationship between the federal government and the Postal Service as including “implicit subsidies” as recorded by the Federal Trade Commission.
You have become adept at the use of talking points in support of political positions but this effort to take exception to the assertion of the television ad, that taxpayers do not fund the delivery of mail, fails in its legitimacy. The Postal Service is recognized by law as a federal agency and accordingly is exempt from statutes governing private entities. It is not misleading to maintain that exemption from the obligations cited in your letter do not rise to the level of taxpayer support except in the world of poll driven political statements.
It is also disingenuous for you to compare “several hundred million dollars” of exemptions for a federal agency to the USPS annual budget of 65 billion dollars. If one would include such “special treatment” as taxpayer expense, it would constitute 3/10 of 1% of USPS annual revenues.
President Guffey is correct in pointing out to the American public that the correction to USPS finances is not a request for government financing but relief from Congressional actions requiring the pre-payment of future health care cost. I suggest that if you sincerely want to be absolute in the use of political messages that you begin with an analysis of the specific countries where new jobs have been created from the 2001, 2003 and 2008 tax cuts referred to as the “Bush tax cuts” and compare the results to the APWU ad informing that the Postal Service does not receive government subsidies.
Sincerely,
William Burrus
Burrus Journal
Burrus: The Biggest Threat to termination of door to door mail services is Washington politicians, Congress
“Senators, Carper, Collins and Coburn hold the future of the United States Postal Service in their hands”
Part 4 – Will The Post Office Survive?
I have written this series to address the uncertainties of thousands of APWU members who are concerned about the long term survival of the Postal Service as a continuing place of employment. Postal employees of this generation have witnessed the demise of the manufacturing and auto industries and have legitimate concerns about the future of the Postal Service which has offered career employment to millions of families that have depended on postal wages and job security.
News reports are abundant, predicting a postal melt down for a variety of reasons with consequences that do not bode well for future employment. Most employees get bits and pieces of news but their lives are full of personal challenges and since there is little that they can do to influence events they listen with half an ear and hope for the best. This series is intended to put the different circumstances in context from the eyes of 53 years of postal experience and explain from my perspective, the challenges and the solutions. Read more
Burrus: It’s Time For USPS To Consider Offering Healthy Retirement Incentive
Filed under: APWU, early out, postal, postal news, retirement, usps
Perhaps it is time for the Postal Service to consider offering a healthy incentive for APWU represented employees to retire. The wage difference between a Grade 6 Step 0 employee and a newly hired replacement is $18,000 per year ($53,102 vs. $35,182) so for every 1000 employees replaced, the Postal Service saves 18 million dollars per year. It would be in their financial interest to entice those employees eligible for retirement to retire.
The Postal Service is strapped for cash so it will not be easy to fund the cost of an incentive, but there are creative ways to defer the cost while generating savings. In the previous effort, agreement was reached to spread the incentive over two years to lessen its immediate impact on the USPS’ financial position and other innovative approaches could be explored.
The problem is that employees, who are eligible, refrain from severing their employment for a variety of personal reasons and continue to work for lack of an alternative that meets their objectives. An incentive would influence many who will otherwise continue their employment for an indeterminable period.
The consideration of offering an incentive does not include what is known as “early outs” permitting employees to retire earlier than the legal formula. The Postal Service must receive the approval of OPM to offer early outs and such permission will not be granted, if it is intended to replace the retiring employee. Early outs cannot be used to reduce payroll costs.
At a time when the Postal Service is experiencing severe financial problems brought on by the unreasonable payment for future health care costs consideration should be given to this opportunity for significant savings.
In solidarity,
Bill Burrus