President Clarice Torrence
Two U.S. Representatives have denounced Postal Service legislative proposals to abrogate its collective bargaining agreements with postal unions. In a sharply-worded letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), condemned management’s proposals to dissolve no lay-off provisions in union contracts and to remove postal employees from federal retirement plans and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. On May 23, 2011, the USPS signed a four-year contract with the APWU that retained federal retirement and health benefits and maintained protection against layoffs for career employees.
But in August, the USPS announced that it would ask Congress to introduce legislation removing postal employees from the federal benefits programs and giving management the authority to lay off 120,000 workers. These requests call into question the good faith of the Postal Service, Cummings and Lynch wrote. To now ask Congress to nullify part of this same contract less than five months after it was concluded is neither fair to Postal Service employees nor helpful to the Postal Service’s credibility in future negotiations. Postal employees deserve to have their commitments honored.
The Postal Service enjoys broad support among the American people, and we are proud of the excellent service it continues to provide. We believe the Postal Service can continue this tradition without abandoning the collective bargaining process and dismantling employee rights, they said. The letter from the two Congressmen was written on the same day that APWU President Cliff Guffey told a Senate committee that the USPS legislative proposals were outrageous, illegal, and despicable.
We are outraged by the Postal Service’s attempt to abrogate the agreement on the subject of layoff protections for APWU bargaining unit members we signed only a few months ago, he said. Rep. Cummings and Rep. Stephen Lynch are the ranking Democrats of the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, and its Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy, respectively, which have jurisdiction over the Postal Service.
TO THE MEMBERS OF NEW YORK METRO
Dear Members of New York Metro,
I am honored to have been chosen as the Chairperson of the Rank and File Bargaining Committee of our national union. As stated in our national constitution the purpose of this committee is to advise and make recommendations to the National Negotiating Team on bargaining demands. The committee is comprised of presidents of the larger locals in APWU. We also have a representative member from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing segment.
We spent 2 days at headquarters in DC getting to know each other and discussing issues that are of the most importance to each of us for the upcoming negotiations. We were welcomed and briefed by President Bill Burrus and the Director of Industrial Relations, Greg Bell. We heard and received reports from the officers of the Clerk Craft and the Maintenance Craft. Burrus gave us the history of negotiations since its inception. We asked him for the background of Article 12, excessing which has had so much negative impact on our members and he complied.
Our work is just beginning. We will be guided by some of the resolutions and issues that will be raised at the national convention in August in Detroit. I will keep you informed at every step of this process. I will be very expressive about what is most important to the members of New York Metro.
I would like to thank all who participated in our information rally protesting management’s attempts to drop to 5 days delivery. This would further erode our jobs and would be a disservice to every community in this country. I want to remind you that when we are on our missions to save our jobs we need each and every member’s participation. There is strength in numbers and through the battles to come we need all of us as a united front. Don’t leave it to just us. You care to retain your employment, please be there.
President Torrence Takes Her Stewards to the frount lines:
2009 was a year filled with severe challenges for postal workers and this Union. Management continued its unrelenting attack on our jobs and we fought back to retain each one. We continued to fight against excessing packages, forcing management to retain jobs. We protect our members by making sure that management honors retreat rights. Hundreds of jobs have been saved.
'Now is the time to talk about the elephant in the room'
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 mandates the USPS to issue a $5 billion dollar check to the US Treasury for the funding of postal retiree health benefits each year. Do yopu think that current USPS management can handle that financial burden, in addintion ot falling mail volume and the crisis in the overall economy?
Management cries that it is losing money, but never mentions the major reason for being in the red is the 5$ billion weight it has to carry around its neck.
We have seen Function Fours, abolishments, excessing, and attempted consolidation. Window service is cut, vending machines are removed, and mobile units are stopped, all driving our customers away. The USPS cannot demonstrated that any of this is saving money or maintaining service. All management wants to do is cut jobs, cut services, and try to outsource our work to subcontractors.
Poor planning, wasteful spending, and bad offers, in the midst of all of this, construction is underway to build an atrium on the roof of Morgan. Does that seem to be a wise expenditure of money in a financial crisis? If that isn't enough, how about providing cable TV, computer access, and magazine subscriptions for the JAF Life Center, or whatever they are calling the Blue Room these days for people who are being placed on stand-by. That doesn't seem to be a wise way to spend money, either.
Aren't you glad you didn't go for that phony VERA now? How could management expect you to take a financial hit by retiring early? If the USPS wants people to retire let them pay for it. Everyone else is offered a buyout, but postal workers are offered penalties. As I have said before, in this economy making it on a smaller than planned pension is next to impossible.
VOTE! It is now down to crunch time for the Presidential Election. It is more than important that you Vote. It is absolutely necessary. For working people, for postal workers, this may be the most important election of our life-time. It is not just enough for you to vote. Get all your family, friends and neightbors out to the polls, even if you have to drag them yourself. Please check on your registration before Election Day. Also, play it safe on Election Day. Don't wear your Obama shirts, pants, hat, or buttons to the polls. There is a law banning electioneering within 100 feet of the polls. It is seldom enforced when it comes to clothing and buttons, but let's be safe and make sure your vote count.
In June, the Consumer Price Index rose to 641.082. After the fifth month of the six-month measuring period, and assuming the adjustment was made based on the June CPI, the fourth COLA under the 2006 National Agreement would be $1,310 per year, which works out to $50.40 per pay period or 63 cents per hour. However, the fourth COLA will be based on the July 2008 CPI index point and will be effective Aug. 30, 2008 pay period 19-2008, pay date Sept. 19, 2008.
Under the 2006 National Agreement and Operating Services Agreement, employees have so far received the following cost-of-living adjustments totaling $1,165; effective March 17, 2007, pay period 07-2007, pay date April 6, 2007; $686 effective Sept. 1, 2007, pay period 19-2007, pay date Sept. 21, 2007; $479 effective March 15, 2008, pay period 07-2008, pay date April 4, 2008.
Who Will Be Eligible for the ‘Early-Out’ Offer?
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approves requests by federal agencies and the USPS to offer Voluntary Early Retirement.
According to OPM, to be eligible, employees must be at least 50 years old and have at least 20 years of creditable service, or maybe any age provided they have at least 25 years of creditable service.
OPM’s approval of the Postal Service’s applies to Clerk, Mail Handler, and initial-level supervisory employees agency-wide. The offers can be made to eligible employees “from June 30, 2008, through June 30, 2009.”
The USPS estimates that nearly 57,000 clerks, and about 16,000 mail handler and supervisory employees are eligible. It projects that 6,496 clerks, 1,552 mail handlers, and 693 supervisors will accept the VER offer.
The Postal Service has told the APWU that it plans to request approval to offer early-outs to other categories of employees, including some members of the Maintenance Craft and city and rural carriers.
With news that eligible employees will soon be receiving notice from the Postal Service about an offer of Voluntary Early Retirement (VER), APWU President William Burrus is advising union members to delay making a decision as long as possible.
“The decision about when to retire is a personal one that is influenced by family obligations and lifestyle,” Burrus said. “But the attractiveness of ending a career early should be weighed with consideration of factors that may not be readily apparent.”
In addition to life-long annuity reductions, he said, employees should realize that the Postal Service offer is being made because of the prospect of heavy financial losses in the current fiscal year and beyond. “The opportunity to retire early may be tempting, but it is not being offered for the employee’s benefit: It is intended to improve the financial condition of the Postal Service.”
“An employee who retires after 25 years of service can expect to receive an annuity of less than half of the average basic salary of the last three years,” Burrus said. He noted that this would exclude most of the time period covered by the 2008 upgrade and the September 2008 Cost-of-Living Adjustment, which is expected to be over $1,000 — one of the largest in postal history.
“Employees who can work for another 15 years before reaching their annuity maximums can expect pay hikes over that time equal to the nearly $18,000 in raises over the past 15 years,” Burrus said of the increase from $34,000 to September’s $52,000.
“The USPS would save about $1 million in salary, benefits, and retirement annuity for each such employee,” he said.
“Those who take the early-out offer will allow the Postal Service to avoid these future obligations, while receiving a significantly lower annuity for the balance of their lives — and lives of their survivors.” The annuity reduction would be “substantial,” he said, and cannot be justified unless the Postal Service offers an incentive.
“We have discussed incentives with the Postal Service,” Burrus said, “but, so far, management has refused to consider any kind of bonus in conjunction with the early-out offer.” The discussions with management are continuing, he said.
“We do not oppose Voluntary Early Retirement per se,” Burrus said, “but we believe incentives should be offered and all eligible employees should be included.” “And we expect that if a sufficient number of employees do not accept the early-out, the Postal Service will still face a significant deficit, and will still be forced to find ways to reduce the workforce. We will be having continuing discussions with postal management,” he said, “and these discussions will be influenced by the number of employees who voluntarily retire without incentives.”
“In this uncertain economy, there is no reason to make a hasty decision,” Burrus said. “Energy and medical costs are escalating, which will make it extremely difficult to survive on a fixed income. One simply has to consider the financial disincentives to retire early, especially without an upfront monetary incentive.”
“As employees who meet the eligibility criteria think about their choices, I ask that they forgo making a quick decision. At this time, the union’s recommendation to eligible employees is that unless you have compelling personal reasons to retire early, DON’T GO.”
PROPOSED RESOLUTION TO BRING TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
SUBJECT:
Defend the BMC (s)—Fight Privatization of Parcel Business!
Submitted by: NY METRO Area Local, #10)
WHEREAS: USPS management is moving towards privatizing the parcel business, by issuing a "Request for Proposals for the outsourcing of some Bulk Mail Center activities, and
WHEREAS: Private Sector Companies in an alliance with the Bush administration and USPS management are preparing to hijack the work traditionally performed by APWU bargaining unit employees at our bulk mail centers, and
WHEREAS: Passage of the so-called "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006" by a Republican-dominated Congress was designed to assist the theft of BMC work by big business and its managements minions, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the National Leadership of APWU shall lead and organize resistance to any/all attempts to privatize the parcel business by fighting to defend BMC jobs, and therefore, be it further
RESOLVED: That APWU urge our elected officials to delay implementation of any provisions of the "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006" that allow for the theft of our work and our jobs, and further urge Congress repeal this noxious legislation, and therefore be it further
RESOLVED: That the defense of our BMC (s) by any necessary means be established as a top priority of this labor organization, and that the progress of this struggle will be reported to our membership on a regular basis.
Signed,
Clarice Torrence, President
NY METRO APWU AFL-CIO
FMLA
The FMLA battle continues, or should I say the FMLA war. With the continued disregard for the law that the USPS has when it comes to FMLA, it appears that the Bush administration is trying to bail out the USPS. The administration proposed new regulations that would weaken employees’ medical privacy protections and make it more difficult for workers to use leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The Bush changes want to relax the prohibition of employers making direct contact with the employee’s physician. It also wants to require re-certifications twice a year for lifelong or chronic conditions. There is a 60-day public comment period before the new regulations can take effect. The APWU and other unions are preparing challenges to these new anti-worker changes in our FMLA protections.
Last month I commented on the 39 percent raise that PMG Potter received. Now we can see what kind of model the USPS is intent upon following. PMG Potter hired Ross Philo as the new Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the USPS. Philo was the Senior Vice President and CIO of Halliburton.
Halliburton is the chief beneficiary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The company, which was run by Vice President Dick Cheney, received contracts in Iraq worth over eight billion in 2003 alone.
Halliburton has been accused of overcharging the U.S. government to the tune of 2.7 billion dollars. Cheney owns 433,000 in unexercised Halliburton stock options worth more than ten million dollars.
Clarice Torrence, President of the New York Metro Area Local of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU),
Received the Ernest DeMaio Award for rank-and-file activism.
(212-563-7553)