{"id":2603,"date":"2011-08-11T22:27:51","date_gmt":"2011-08-12T03:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=2603"},"modified":"2011-08-11T22:27:51","modified_gmt":"2011-08-12T03:27:51","slug":"apwu-condemns-usps-proposals-to-destroy-collective-bargaining-and-crush-postal-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2011\/08\/11\/apwu-condemns-usps-proposals-to-destroy-collective-bargaining-and-crush-postal-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"APWU Condemns USPS Proposals To Destroy Collective Bargaining and Crush Postal Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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APWU President Cliff Guffey has condemned USPS legislative proposals that would destroy the collective bargaining rights of postal workers and interfere with the union\u2019s contract, which Postal Service and the APWU agreed to in March.<\/p>\n

Guffey made the statement in response to USPS announcements<\/a> [PDF] that it would seek congressional support for legislation to eliminate protection against layoff from collective bargaining agreements; remove postal workers from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), and separate USPS employees from federal retirement programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe APWU will vehemently oppose any attempt to destroy the collective bargaining rights of postal employees or tamper with our recently-negotiated contract,\u201d Guffey said. \u201cCrushing postal workers and slashing service will not solve the Postal Service\u2019s financial crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we have pointed out many times,\u201d he added, \u201cpostal employees are not the cause of the crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe USPS economic crisis is the result of a provision of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 that requires the Postal Service to pre-fund the healthcare benefits of future retirees \u2014 a burden no other government agency or private company bears.\u201d The mandate requires the USPS to fund a 75-year liability over a 10-year period and costs the USPS more than $5.5 billion per year.<\/p>\n

Guffey also pointed out that \u201cthe federal government is holding billions of dollars in postal overpayments to its pension accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongress must address the cause of the Postal Service\u2019s financial crisis so that postal workers can continue to serve the American people and the USPS can continue to act as an important engine of the U.S. economy,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some in Congress who may support these proposals,\u201d Guffey noted. \u201cBut we will not allow the hard-working men and women of the U.S. Postal Service to be made the scapegoats for the outrageously poor judgment of Congress in instituting the pre-funding requirement.<\/p>\n

Guffey reiterated his call for postal employees to contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to support H.R. 1351, and oppose H.R. 2309.<\/p>\n

H.R. 1351 would address the cause of the USPS financial crisis without cutting pay and benefits, he noted, without eliminating collective bargaining rights, or slashing service. The bill, introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), would:<\/p>\n