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Senate to Vote on Postal Bill
APWU Members Must Take Action NOW!
APWU News Bulletin 03-2012, Jan. 27 2012 | PDF
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“We are asking all APWU members
to contact their senators immediately and tell them that
S. 1789 is not acceptable in its current form.”
— Cliff Guffey, President
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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:
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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.)
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Allow the USPS to recover overpayments the Postal Service made to its retiree pension funds.
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Call Your Senators:
202-224-3121
(Capitol Switchboard)
[Click here for direct #s]
Tell them you oppose
S. 1789 as it is currently written
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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Protect six-day delivery.
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Eliminate the provision that would drastically reduce the compensation of workers who are injured on duty once they reach retirement age.
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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.
Congress Letter
Contact your Elected Official
Help Save your Postal Service
Letter to President Obama
Save your Post Office flyer
Help save your Postal Service!
Established in 1775, the Postal Service has faithfully served the American public for over 239 years. Today, that record of service in cities, towns and to every household in our great country is in jeopardy, as the United States Postal Service (USPS) is in the midst of a critical financial crisis.
The USPS financial crisis is the result of a provision of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 that requires the Postal Service to pre-fund healthcare benefits of future retirees, including those of workers who have not even been hired yet – a burden no other government agency or private company bears. 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.
The USPS has recorded losses of $20 billion over the past four years, though it would have made a profit over this period (despite the recession) if not for the artificial burden of pre-funding future retiree health benefits.
Furthermore, according to two independent actuarial studies, the USPS has overfunded its pension obligations by $50 billion to $75 billion.
No taxpayer money is used to operate the Postal Service. It operates solely on monies received from stamps and postage.The USPS stands alone in offering affordable and accessible, universal service to 150 million homes and thousands of communities and businesses six days a week. It is at the heart of a $1.3 trillion mailing industry that employs over 9 million workers.
Congress must address the cause of the Postal Service’s financial crisis so that postal workers can continue to serve the American people and the USPS can continue to act as an important engine for the U.S. economy.
In this regard, House Resolution 1351 would help restore financial stability to the Postal Service without slashing service to the public. It would allow the USPS to use the billions of dollars in pension overpayments to meet its financial obligations. Currently, H.R. 1351 has 185 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. If this legislation is not enacted, service to the public will be cut and thousands of jobs will be lost.
Help Save Your Postal Service Flyer
IPWU Elections 2012
Nominations for the following positions will be taken at the Iowa Postal Workers Union state convention, April 27-28.
President; Treasurer; Editor; Recording Secretary; Craft Directors (Clerk, Maintenance, Support Services, and Motor Vehicle); Legislative Director; Trustees (3). Area Representatives (4); Delegates to the National Convention and members to the Strike Assistance Board.
If you are interested in running any of these elected positions, you can be nominated at the convention or you can send your letter of intent to run (nominating yourself) and/or acceptance of nomination to IPWU Elections, PO Box 539, Des Moines, IA. 50302
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