NALC President Rolando sent the following letter to PMG Donahoe

August 15, 2011

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe
United States Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.
Washington, DC 20260-0010

Dear Postmaster General Donahoe,

I write to state in the strongest possible terms our outrage at DSPS lobbying the Congress to break our labor contract, and to withdraw from FEHBP, CSRS, FERS and TSP.

This unprecedented action, on the eve of the start of our collective bargaining negotiations for a new contract, is an act of bad faith towards the Postal Service’s loyal, hardworking letter carriers — and the American public.

The very idea that USPS, an instrumentality of the United States government,would lobby the Congress of the United States to violate a contract is staggering. This nation has just gone through the wrenching debt-ceiling exercise to preserve the full faith and credit of the United States; for USPS now to promote the government’s breach of contract is evidence of either wilful ignorance, or damning arrogance.

The nation’s 200,000 letter carriers will make clear to you at the opening of negotiations this Thursday our understanding of the current USPS cash flow crisis and its long term business plan and strategic challenges. We will also outline our views as to how to address them constructively and collaboratively. You know, and we know, that it is the failure of Congress to act to correct excessive multi-billion dollar inequities that have driven USPS to its current state through forced over funding of our pension and retiree health obligations. As a consequence, USPS — unlike every other major institution in the country — private or public, profit or non-profit, is over rich in mandated reserves and unnecessarily cash poor.

A rational USPS lobbying effort would focus with laser-beam intensity on the necessity for Congress to remedy its mistakes rather than seek to exploit this crisis to achieve unrelated; and in our view disastrous; schemes to reduce service and to slash the wages, health insurance and pensions of its employees.

Notwithstanding your ill-considered effort to lobby the Congress to do your dirty work, we will continue to try to convince you to work with us to protect this great institution in the interest of the American public.

I enclose a copy of a letter sent today to the nation’s letter carriers.

Sincerely,

Fredric V. Rolando
President

The following is a copy of Rolando’s letter to carriers:

August 22, 2011

Dear Fellow Letter Carrier:

I enclose a letter sent today to the Postmaster General of the United States.

I urge you to read the letter and carefully consider its implications for the future of the Postal Service, the future of collective bargaining and your future career. My letter was triggered by last week’s extraordinary lobbying effort by USPS to get Congress to: violate our collective bargaining agreement; -eliminate 220,000 career positions; withdraw from the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan (FEHB); and substitute a Postal Service-controlled plan with a huge shift of health costs to employees. USPS is also lobbying to withdraw from the federal government’s Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), substituting a postal management-controled plan providing lower pension benefits.

Needless to say, we are outraged by this program to destroy collective bargaining and in short order, to destroy the USPS. We will do everything within our power at the bargaining table, in the halls of Congress, and in the public arena to demonstrate the folly, indeed the insanity, of the Postal Service’s proposals. But more is needed.

This is not just another USPS bargaining ploy or strategy. This is a full-blown effort by those who are determined to diminish, and if possible destroy, government institutions like the Postal Service, Social Security and Medicare. These ideologues think the time is ripe, and that the political environment offers the opportunity to strike.

We must prove them wrong. We must block their destructive scheme. A key part of that effort will be to energize our 300,000 members, and their families, friends, and neighbors. I know this is not going to be easy. I know that we will face the “Boy Cries Wolf” syndrome. I know that you face great stress at the workplace every day, and you have many calls upon your time and attention (family, finances, personal obligations and commitments). But I urge you to recognize this to be the single greatest and most serious chailenge to your career and to the future of the Postal Service that any of us have ever seen. And I include the 1970 strike in that perspective.

In the coming weeks and months we will be calling upon you to participate individually and collectively in this battle of our lives. In the meantime, please review these letters with your families, and get ready.

I welcome your response, input, advice, and criticism. I promise to read every one and to respond.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Fredric V. Rolando
President

cc: Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe