Postal Workers Have the Right To Speak Out Against Facility Closures

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 [...]

Beware of Risks in USPS Campaign For Voluntary Transfers to Letter Carrier

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 [...]

PRC Blasts USPS Retail Closure Plan

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 [...]

Funding Bill Postpones Pre-Funding Due Date

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 [...]

Sen. Akaka and Rep. DeFazio Introduce Postal Bills

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 [...]

APWU Says Dual Appointments Will End In January

(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 [...]

House Republicans Attack Postal and Federal Retirement Benefits

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 [...]

APWU Says Arbitration Hearing Begins on Schedules of New Full-Timers

An arbitration hearing began on Dec. 13, 2011, on the first two of several disputes that arose when management incorrectly implemented new provisions of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The disputes involve the placement of newly converted full-time employees into non-traditional schedules, and the denial of retreats rights to Clerk Craft employees on posted Non-Traditional [...]

Cost of payroll tax holiday should not be paid for by federal employees

As the House of Representatives prepares for a final vote on the payroll tax holiday extension later today, the Republican majority has once again turned to federal employees to foot the bill for it. NALC has weighed in over and over with Congress on the inappropriateness of treating federal workers as the cash cow or [...]

Senators Seek To Stop USPS Cutbacks

Twenty senators are asking Congress to impose a six-month moratorium on USPS plans to consolidate more than 250 mail processing plants, close thousands of post offices, and eliminate overnight mail delivery, in order to give lawmakers an opportunity to consider postal reform legislation.
The senators have asked Majority Leader Harry Reid to include language in the [...]