Finally, we have some movement in the Maintenance Craft on implementation of key provisions the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement! On Feb. 1, 2012, President Cliff Guffey and postal management signed a Questions-and-Answers document [PDF] regarding specific sections of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Maintenance Craft Jobs [PDF]. The document does not address all outstanding items, but resolves items 1a, 1b, 1c, 2 and 3 of the Jobs Memo.

Under the terms of the Q-and-A document, the Postal Service must return custodial duties to stations, branches and other facilities of an independent installation no later than May 23, 2012.

The changes in the 2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) regarding contracting custodial duties were significant. Now, in order to contract out our custodial work, the USPS must add together all interior square and exterior square footage of the separate facilities and then apply the 18,000 square-foot formula. Put another way, if your main office is not contracted out, then none of the other facilities within your installation can be contracted out. Unfortunately, there will be no liability for the Postal Service’s delay in returning our work.

Regarding the return of 1,500 additional post offices where custodial work is contracted out, the Q-and-A document stipulates that these “duty assignments will be identified by March 31, 2012.” This is separate and apart from the return of work to the stations.

Furthermore, the terms of the Jobs MOU regarding the use of PSEs will be followed. After posting for the craft, if the Postal Service gets to the point where it must hire from the street, a PSE can be employed. This is also where the Preference Eligible Veteran rules will kick in.

Note: The additional duty assignment(s) and/or (depending on the amount of work returned) the manner in which existing duty assignments will cover the required scheduling and performance of custodial work is to be addressed by locals. Locals should start by obtaining the separate custodial staffing packages for each facility in the installation. The MS-47 must be adhered to.

The Help Desk at the Maintenance Technical Support Center (MTSC) in Norman, OK (not the training center) is also addressed. A minimum of 10 new duty assignments will be posted for ET-11s and ET-10s will also have an opportunity to volunteer for these jobs.

The document also stipulates that an Integrated Voice Recognition (IVR) system will be designed and installed. Discussion of implementation of the IVR will continue. The additional work for the ET-11 occupational group is certainly welcome.

The document also defines the use of the 5 percent of PSEs in Maintenance-capable offices.

While frustrations continue, this represents some long-awaited progress. I extend sincere thanks to President Guffey on behalf of the Maintenance Craft members for his efforts in finalizing this step forward.

The APWU has learned that the Senate will consider postal legislation very soon, and President Cliff Guffey is asking union members to contact their senators immediately and tell them that the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) is unacceptable in its current form. “The stakes couldn’t be higher,” Guffey said.

As currently written, the bill would give the USPS some short-term financial relief, but also would inflict long-term damage to the nation’s mail system, he said.

“The bill would force the Postal Service to close hundreds of mail processing centers, shut thousands of post offices, and cause massive delays in mail delivery,” the APWU president said. “By failing to give more substantial financial relief, the bill would weaken the Postal Service, kill jobs, and drive customers away,” he added.

“APWU members have done an outstanding job of expressing our concerns to their senators and representatives,” Guffey added. “At this critical time, union members must continue to let them know where we stand.”

The union is seeking support for amendments to:

• Set strict service standards. (This is crucial, because the Postal Service is planning to degrade delivery standards in order to eliminate more than half of all mail processing facilities.)
• Allow the USPS to recover overpayments the Postal Service made to its retiree pension funds.
• Adequately address the requirement that forces the USPS pre-fund future retiree health benefits. (This mandate is the primary cause of the agency’s financial crisis. No other government agency or private company bears this burden, which costs the USPS approximately $5.5 billion annually.)
• Establish new ways to generate revenue, such as providing notary services, issuing licenses, contracting with state and local agencies to provide services, and allowing the USPS to offer services that mail systems in many other countries provide, such as digital services.
• Prevent the closing of small post offices by giving the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) binding authority to prevent closures based on the effect on the community and employees.
• Protect six-day delivery.
• Eliminate the provision that would drastically reduce the compensation of workers who are injured on duty once they reach retirement age.
• Repeal the provision that would require arbitrators in postal contract negotiations to consider the financial health of the USPS. (Postal unions note that arbitrators routinely do so, and criticize the provision as an attempt to skew contract negotiations in favor of management.)

“We must not allow this bill to destroy service to the American people,” Guffey said.

Call Your Senators: 202-224-3121 (Capitol Switchboard)

Tell them you oppose S.1789 as it is currently written.

USPS Partners With Align Networks
PEN: Make certain to read the ALERT from OWCP at the end of this article.

(01/26/12) The Postal Service has notified [PDF] the APWU that it has established a relationship with Align Networks to provide physical therapy services for employees with work related injuries and illnesses. APWU strongly discourages member participation.

It is our understanding that as a contract provider, Align Networks and their therapists can share information with the USPS that would otherwise be protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, including information that is unrelated to workplace injuries.

In addition, Align Networks strives to achieve reduced costs for its payor companies.

A quick visit to the Align Networks’ Web site exposes how savings might be achieved and several other issues that are cause for concern. Employer services listed on the site include: aggressive management of visit attendance and compliance; notification to employing agencies when employees miss appointments; support in determining medical necessity; assistance in continuance-of-care dispute resolution; help with therapy claim closure; and, probably the most egregious, providing employers with “documentation of Worker’s Compensation Clinical Guidelines comparison for treatment frequency and duration based on condition to allow employers to determine the appropriateness of continued care.”

Therapists should provide medical services based on patient needs, in cooperation with the claimant’s treating physician. Based on the information contained on the Align Web site, it appears the company may be allowing employers such as the Postal Service to interfere with that process.

The good news is participation in this program is strictly voluntary. Employees cannot be forced nor should they be pressured or misled into using Align Networks for any treatment services.

According to the Postal Service, every employee who has an open approved claim and workers with new traumatic injury claims that are pending adjudication are eligible to use the program. Employees who complete a job-related injury claim (Form CA 1) will be provided an application for physical therapy [PT] through Align Networks, as well as contact information, and other information [PDF]. It is important for employees to keep in mind that they have the right to elect a therapist of their choice – they can refuse Align Network services.

In cases where the employee submits a claim for an occupational disease (Form CA-2), an Align Networks card will be issued to the employee by first-class mail once the claim has been accepted. Physical therapy appointments will be scheduled by Align with one of the Networks’ therapy providers and the injured worker if the worker chooses to participate.

In an effort to compel injured workers to use the program, the USPS has started distributing posters [PDF] and has supplied supervisors, managers and postmasters with mandatory service talks that are to be given to all postal employees. In our opinion, the campaign is somewhat deceptive and flagrantly preys upon employee frustrations.

The USPS claims there are advantages for employees who utilize Align Networks for physical therapy services. Employees will not need to obtain prior approval from the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs and they will not have to pay for out of pocket expenses. Align boasts a more efficient, accurate and timely processing of therapy requests and a large, expanding network of providers. The APWU warns members not to be swayed by the overstated benefits of the program.

The reality is all employees who sustain on-the-job traumatic injuries and provide notice within seven days of the incident must be issued Form CA-16 “Authorization for Examination / Medical Treatment” [PDF] by the USPS within four hours. The “16” authorizes conservative medical care for up to 60 days without obtaining prior authorization from OWCP. This includes physical therapy services. For employees who aren’t entitled to receive Form CA-16, once their claim is approved, authorization for services can be expedited by ensuring the medical provider is enrolled in ACS and uses the proper international diagnosis and treatment codes. It has also proven helpful for claimants or their providers to regularly follow-up with ACS until their request for medical treatment is approved.

In addition, union members should understand that a condition is not considered a workers compensation injury until the claim is approved by OWCP. This means health benefits can legally be used to procure treatment for on-the-job injuries or illnesses with minimal expense to the employee. Once a claim is approved, out-of-pocket expenses can generally be recovered. It has also proven beneficial for treating physicians to provide OWCP with a brief narrative that explains how delaying treatment would have hindered recovery and been detrimental to the employee’s well being. If finding a physical therapist has been difficult, most treating physicians can usually refer claimants to therapists that accept OWCP cases. OWCP’s Provider Search could also be a useful tool.

We recognize workplace injuries and illnesses are fraught with frustrations that might make it tempting to try a service that appears to be trouble-free and effortless, but these are hardly reasons for claimants to subject themselves to a company that is employed to be an advocate for the Postal Service. The perils of using a contract provider are real. Members need to recognize they can access the treatment they need for recovery by using medical providers who work on their behalf and who are concerned with their health and welfare.

Members who have questions or concerns about Align Networks or their OWCP claim should contact their local or state APWU representative. Representatives seeking additional information or guidance should contact the Human Relations Department.

PLEASE READ THE ALERT BELOW FROM OWCP

No Change in OWCP Procedures for Physical Therapy Authorizations

Recent communications from the United States Postal Service and Align Networks have caused confusion regarding the process for securing authorization for physical therapy for treatment of approved conditions under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). Under 5 U.S.C. 8103 and its implementing regulations and procedures, only the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs has the authority to determine what medical care will be authorized. Authorization requests should continue to be sent to ACS as OWCP’s designated bill processing agent; authorizations and bills are processed by ACS in accordance with OWCP’s established guidelines. In addition:

• Medical Providers are not required to refer USPS claimants only to the Align Network for authorization for physical therapy; any communication that suggests or implies otherwise is simply incorrect.
• Align Networks does not have the power to authorize physical therapy treatment under FECA. Consistent with past practice, all requests for authorization of physical therapy must be submitted to OWCP’s medical billing contractor, ACS, using the template approved by OWCP. If the request is not submitted electronically through the ACS web portal at http://owcp.dol.acsinc.com, any request for authorization of physical therapy must be faxed to 800-215-4901. Faxing a request for physical therapy to any other number will delay OWCP/ACS’s processing and authorization of physical therapy. In addition:
• No federal employee (including any USPS employee/claimant) is required to use Align Network, or a physical therapist that is affiliated with Align Network, for scheduling or treatment of a condition approved by OWCP under FECA.
• Regardless of what provider is used, there are never co-pays or out-of-pocket expenses under FECA for physical therapy treatment for an approved condition.

While OWCP has no objection to any claimant using Align Network for physical therapy, such use cannot reduce an injured employee’s out of pocket expenses as there are none.

Recent notices posted by management have generated questions about APWU members’ right to participate in activities opposing the closure of postal facilities. Postal employees have the right to:

• Circulate petitions;
• Participate in public meetings;
• Encourage others to attend public meetings;
• Encourage local merchants and business organizations to speak out against postal closings;
• Contact elected officials to urge them to oppose postal closings.

Postal workers may engage in all of the activities listed above, provided they are off-the-clock.

“It is essential that all union members speak out to the maximum extent possible to prevent the unnecessary closure of postal facilities,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “We will not allow USPS management to discourage our members from exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Anti-Lobbying Act Doesn’t Apply

The Anti-Lobbying Act, which the USPS cited in a Jan. 13 LiteBlue posting, prohibits the use of government funds — or postal funds — to urge private citizens to communicate with Congress about issues of concern to the Postal Service. As long as postal workers are acting on their own time and are not using postal funds, however, they can speak against and actively oppose facility closures without violating the Anti-Lobbying Act.

A one-page list linked to the LiteBlue posting outlines permissible and prohibited activities under the Anti-Lobbying Act, but neglects to mention that activities listed as “impermissible” are impermissible only if they are done on postal time or using postal funds or facilities. They do not apply to activities conducted off-the-clock and outside postal facilities.

The LiteBlue posting also mentions a prohibition on the disclosure of non-public postal information. Postal employees who have access to non-public information may not reveal it to unauthorized individuals.

Once again, however, this restriction is irrelevant to opposition to postal closures. Our activities rely on non-restricted public information. If the union believes that restricted or non-public information is relevant and necessary, the APWU can officially request access to such information.

Campaigns About Mail Service

Another management document that causes confusion about employees’ rights is Section 667.12 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), which states that postal workers must not “engage in campaigns for or against changes in mail service.” However, the same provision also states that it “must not be construed to infringe upon the rights to participate in labor organizations.”

More than 15 years ago, on June 11, 1996, the Postal Service Vice President for Labor Relations issued instructions to the field [PDF] confirming the right of postal workers to participate in peaceful informational picketing directed to the public, notwithstanding the language of ELM. Those instructions remain in effect.

There is no question that postal employees have a constitutional right, protected by the First Amendment, to participate in public meetings, make public statements opposing the closure or consolidation of postal facilities, and speak out against the reduction of postal services — because those actions by the Postal Service are matters of public concern.

“I urge our members to circulate petitions, attend meetings, and call and write legislators,” Guffey said. “Do these things on your own time, but do them!”

Postal managers on official time, or using their official authority, may not work for or against our efforts on behalf of the Postal Service. If any postal manager uses his or her official position to attempt to influence your work on these issues, please contact the APWU national office

APWU Warns Members: Beware of Risks in USPS Campaign For Voluntary Transfers to Letter Carrier

The APWU is warning union members of risks associated with a management campaign to encourage career Clerk, Maintenance and Motor Vehicle Craft employees to volunteer for reassignments to the Letter Carrier Craft.

In a letter dated Jan. 3 [PDF], management notified the union that it will mail a letter to all career employees in the three APWU-represented crafts (and employees in the Mail Handler Craft) touting the benefits of voluntary reassignments to the Letter Carrier Craft.

But there are disadvantages to the voluntary reassignments — which management is not divulging to employees.

Seniority:

When employees transfer voluntarily to another craft, they begin a new period of seniority.

Limits on Excessing:

The APWU negotiated strict limits on excessing during bargaining over the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement [PDF]. As a result, employees in crafts represented by the APWU cannot be excessed beyond 50 miles.

Our brothers and sisters in the National Association of Letter Carriers are currently bargaining with the Postal Service over the terms of their contract, but, as of now, the USPS is not bound by these limits for employees in the Letter Carrier Craft.

Protection Against Layoffs:

The 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and the USPS includes a Memorandum of Understanding that grants protection against layoffs [PDF] to all regular workforce employees that were on the rolls as of Nov. 20, 2010. Our brothers and sisters in the Letter Carrier Craft do not currently enjoy this coverage; their protection against layoffs applies to Letter Carrier Craft employees who have accrued six years of “continuous service.”

The APWU asserts that once employees obtain protection against layoffs, they retain it. However, the USPS disagrees with the union’s position and contends that once employees transfer from a craft represented by the APWU to a craft represented by another union, they lose the protection against layoffs granted by the Memorandum of Understanding.

According to the Postal Service’s reasoning, employees with less than six years of continuous service who transfer to the Letter Carrier Craft could be subject to layoffs. The APWU has a pending national-level dispute [PDF] challenging management’s interpretation. However, until the dispute is resolved, employees who voluntarily transfer (or are involuntarily reassigned by management) may be in jeopardy.

The loss of seniority and the potential for excessing and layoffs are not abstractions, the union points out. The Postal Service is planning workforce changes with the goal of eliminating tens of thousands of Letter Carrier positions.

“Transferring to another craft is an important decision,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “I encourage union members to think long and hard before they make such a major change. And I urge employees to be aware of the risks as well as the benefits when management promotes the transfers as a great opportunity.”

The Postal Service plans to close a many as 3,600 retail facilities is based on questionable data, Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) recently concluded.

In a Dec. 23 advisory opinion [PDF], the PRC challenged the methods with which the Postal Service developed its “Retail Access Optimization Initiative,” charging that the USPS lacked sufficient data for determining which closures would reduce costs the most and that it lacked sufficient data and analysis to make the best decisions.

The USPS plan does not “determine the facilities most likely to serve the greatest number, reduce the greatest costs, or enhance the potential for growth or stability in the system,” PRC Chairman Ruth Goldway said in a statement accompanying the report.

The PRC also found the USPS selection process failed to adequately consider whether an alternate post office was nearby. Goldway said that the USPS failed to give “careful consideration” to “each individual community’s needs,” charging that the panel’s review of challenges to closings reveals “a pattern of inaccurate and overly optimistic economic savings calculations and of careless disregard of community concerns.” The USPS, she added, demonstrated “an ongoing institutional bias within the Postal Service that presumes closing small post offices automatically provides cost savings and network efficiencies.”

The PRC’s criticism of the post office closure plan echoes concerns expressed by the APWU, consumer groups, and other mail users in recent months. “Closing post offices and slashing service to the American people is not the answer to the Postal Service’s financial crisis,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “The USPS is well aware of the cause of its financial difficulties,” he added. “They cannot cut their way to fiscal health.”

The Postal Service unveiled its list of more than 3,600 facilities post offices, stations and branches — about 11 percent of its retail network — targeted for closure studies on July 26, 2011 and its goal was to make final determinations by the end of 2011. Under pressure from legislators on Capitol Hill, however, the USPS announced a five-month moratorium on the closure of post offices and mail processing facilities. The delay until May 15, 2012, is intended to give Congress more time to adopt legislation that would address the USPS financial crisis without drastic cuts in service.

By law, the Postal Service must request an advisory opinion from the PRC when proposed changes would have a nationwide impact on service. Although the panel’s opinion is nonbinding, it supports the case that the APWU and others are making to Congress that slashing the postal network will hurt service and invite the demise of the nation’s mail system.

The government funding bill Congress approved over the weekend included a reprieve for the Postal Service: It delays until August the due date for the USPS to make a $5.5 billion payment to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees.

“We are pleased by the postponement, but we recognize the urgency of passing legislation that will correct the underlying cause of the Postal Service’s financial difficulties,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey.

“Congress can act at any time to pass a bill that would severely damage the USPS — or it can resolve the crisis,” he said. “We cannot afford to let our guard down.

“We will do everything in our power to encourage lawmakers to act responsibly and protect service to the American people. We encourage our members to contact their senators and representatives and urge them to support legislation that will bring stability and growth to the U.S. Postal Service.”

Several bills were introduced in Congress this month that would help resolve the Postal Service’s financial crisis and improve service to the American people, APWU Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid reports.

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) introduced the Postal Investment Act of 2011 (S. 2014) on Dec. 16, which is intended to strengthen the USPS and provide the agency short- and long-term financial relief.

Sen. Akaka’s bill would alter a provision of the 2006 law that requires the USPS to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees. No other government agency or private company is required to make these payments, which cost the Postal Service approximately $5.5 billion annually.

The legislation would set the target funding level for retiree health benefits at 80 percent, instead of the current requirement of 100 percent, and would allow the Postal Service to use any funds in excess of 80 percent for capital investments. The Postal Investment Act also would create a board to invest the money the USPS has already paid into the retiree health benefits fund. Investing the funds — which currently total more than $40 billion — in a mix of government and non-government securities, could earn a return that is significantly higher than current earnings, according to a summary by Sen. Akaka. The bill would allow the Postal Service to suspend the pre-funding obligation in any year the USPS lacks revenues sufficient to make the payment. The legislation also would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to recompute USPS payments to the fund.

Sen. Akaka’s bill also would require the OPM to recalculate the Postal Service’s overpayment to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), which is currently estimated to be approximately $11 billion, and to transfer the overpayment to the USPS. The overpayment would be used to incentivize employees who voluntarily leave the Postal Service before Oct. 1, 2014. If funds remain after paying incentives to departing employees, USPS could use the remaining funds to pay for other obligations and debt.

The bill clarifies that there are no limits to the issues an arbitration board can consider when rendering a decision on a collective bargaining agreement. During hearings of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, at least one senator mistakenly stated that arbitrators are forbidden from considering the financial condition of the Postal Service. Of course, that is incorrect.

Sen. Akaka is chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. His measure has been referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT).

Click here for more information about S. 2014.

Rep. DeFazio Introduces Two Important Postal Bills

Rep. DeFazio introduced the Postal Service Protection Act (H.R. 3591 [PDF]) in the House on Dec. 7, which is a companion to S. 1853 [PDF], a bill introduced in the Senate by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Nov. 10.

The Postal Service Protection Act would fix the immediate fiscal problems faced by USPS, prevent the closure of many rural post offices, and establish standards for first-class mail delivery that would thwart USPS efforts to eliminate overnight mail.

The legislation would allow the Postal Service to recover overpayments to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The USPS has overpaid FERS by more than $11 billion, and two independent actuarial studies have concluded that the agency has overpaid CSRS by $50 billion to $75 billion.

It also would eliminate the requirement to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees. This mandate, which forces the Postal Service to pay a 75-year liability in just 10 years, costs the USPS approximately $5.5 billion per year. No other government agency or private company is required to make such payments.

In addition, the bill would prevent the closure of many rural post offices by giving the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) binding authority to prevent closures based on the effect on the community and on employees. Currently, the PRC acts only in an advisory role.

The bill also would establish strict delivery standards for first-class mail that would prevent the Postal Service from implementing wholesale closures of mail processing facilities, and would require the continuation of six-day delivery.

The legislation also would establish new ways for USPS to generate revenue by providing non-postal services like new media services, issuance of licenses, shipment of beer and wine, and shifting more toward electronic mail.

Joining Rep. DeFazio as original co-sponsors were Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY) and Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY).

Rep. DeFazio also introduced the Protecting Rural Post Offices Act of 2011 (H.R. 3592 [PDF]), which is to the House version of a bill (S. 1668 [PDF]) introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) on Oct. 6. The bill precludes USPS from closing any post office which results in more than 10 miles between any 2 post offices.

Click here for more information on the bills introduced by Rep. DeFazio.

(12/16/11) After several months of discussion with the APWU, postal management has agreed to eliminate the use of “dually appointed” Rural Carrier Associates and Postal Support Employees (PSEs). In accordance with a letter dated Dec. 7 [PDF], the dual appointments will end no later than Jan. 13, 2012.

As a result, there are now no circumstances under which a Rural Letter Carrier or Rural Carrier Associate may be permitted to perform APWU bargaining unit work. Light mail volume would not justify it, nor would heavy mail volume or an emergency. RCAs are simply prohibited from performing Clerk Craft duties.

Eliminating the dual appointments, which were prevalent in small offices, will protect Clerk Craft work for APWU members.

Mike Morris
APWU Industrial Relations Director

The House of Representatives voted 243-193 on Dec. 13 to pass the so-called “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011,” which would cut take-home pay for postal and federal workers by increasing their contributions to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). The bill also would slash unemployment benefits, place unreasonable burdens on unemployed workers, and cut vital healthcare programs.

Voting in favor of H.R. 3630 were 224 Republicans and 10 Democrats. Fourteen Republicans and 179 Democrats voted no. Action on the bill now moves to the Senate.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), and co-sponsored by Reps. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Fred Upton (R-MI).

The bill also would change the calculation of pensions for new hires with less than five years of creditable service and eliminate the FERS annuity supplement, which is designed to provide a benefit approximating the pension retirees would receive once they become eligible for earned Social Security benefits.

If enacted into law, employee contributions to CSRS would increase from the current rate of 7 percent to 8.5 percent of salary over a three-year span beginning in calendar year 2013. Contributions for employees covered by FERS would increase from 0.8 percent to 2.3 percent over the same period.

The bill would increase the contribution rate for postal and federal employees hired after Dec. 31, 2012, with less than five years of creditable service, from the current rate of 0.8 percent to 4 percent of salary. The pension formula for these employees would be based on the employees’ “high-five” years of service instead of the current “high-three” formula. Pensions for current employees’ would continue to be based on the “high-three.”

President Obama issued a statement before the House vote threatening to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

“APWU members are encouraged to immediately contact their senators and urge them to oppose this unfair and misguided attack on postal and federal workers when the bill is considered in the Senate,” said APWU Legislative and Political Department Director Myke Reid.

The following is the NALC response:

Bad payroll tax bill passes the House:
In spite of our efforts, the Republican-majority House of Representatives passed its payroll tax holiday extension bill on Dec. 13. NALC fully supports the extension of the payroll tax holiday while the economy continues to struggle, but not if it means forcing the federal workforce to pay for it. This irresponsible and unfair bill now heads to the Senate.