Postal Legislation

ON

Front Burner

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has placed postal legislation in the number 2 priority order for this year's Senate.  It is possible that debate could begin sometime next month.  Right now it appears that S. 1789, the bill introduced by Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Joe Lieberman (?-CT) will be the intial study, although it is hoped that amendments will be added, especially ones led by Sherrod Brown (D-OH).  As currently written, 1789 is not supported by our organiztion.  We need language added to stop mail processing consolidations, closure of post offices/stations, and strong language on keeping strict delivery standards.

In the House, Darrell Issa's (R-CA) bill HR 2309 is set for markup and could occur at anytime.  This bill would be DISASTEROUS for postal employees in that it does absolutely nothing  to solve the USPS's financial problems,  In fact, it mandates the Postal Service to make over $2 billion in post office closings within two years.  Meanwhile, HR 1351 which has 228 cosponsors sets in Mr. Issa's committee with no chance of being heard on the House floor.

We are advising every postal employee, family member and friend to keep contacting their elected officials and tell them to support postal legislation that keeps the USPS as a universal service for every American.  No post office closings, no mail processing plant consolidations, and especially - NO CHANGES IN DELIVERY STANDARDS.

This is your opportunity to stand up for your job and future.  You cannot expect officers and stewards to do everything.  We must have mass support from the employees of the USPS.  Afterall, it is your job to lose.

On a related note:  Congressman Denny Ross (R-FL), the one cosponsor of Darrell Issa's HR 2309 is going after all federal employees.  He is trying to revamp federal retirements in a way that would do away with FERS.  The simple way to put it is that he wants federal employees to have little, if any, retirement.

Terry Grant, President OPWU AFL-CIO

Why We Are Special

The United States Postal Service is part of the infrastructure of this country.  It has been for more than 200 years, and will continue to be if our elected officials can find the way to correct financial problems that really are not the fault of the USPS, the employees, or postal patrons.

Why are we special?  Let's take a look at some of the components of the Service.

The EMPLOYEES:

1.  In 2010 the USPS recognized 239 employee heroes who saved the lives of the customers they served, even at the risk of their own life.

2.  For almost a decade the USPS employees have been rated the MOST TRUSTED federal employees and last year received an 85% approval rating.

3.  More than 53,000 postal employees have joined the National Marrow Donor Program and have made life saving donations.

4.  Employees pledge yearly an average of $38 million to charities by using the Combined Federal Campaign.

5.  The largest one-day food drive is held every year and more than 1.1 billion pounds of food has been collected since 1993.

6.  The USPS continues to have among the largest percentage of productivity increases each year.

The USPS:

1.  It receives no tax dollars and generates its own revenue with no subsidies from the American taxpayer.

2.  Accepted 6.7 million passport applications in 2010 and issued 123.6 million money orders.

3.  Safely holds mail for more than 10 million customers while they are away from home.

4.  Delivers more in ONE DAY than Federal Express does in a year and more in ONE WEEK than UPS does in a year!

5.  149 missing children have been found and reunited with their families due to the "Have You Seen Me" campaign.

6.  Has the world's largest retail network, the world's largest fleet of vehicles, and is the 2nd largest civilian employer in the United States.

7.  In 2010 Postal Inspectors discovered 199 improvised explosive devices and seized more than $7.7 million in proceeds related to illegal drugs.

This is ALL in addition to processing and delivering more than 40% of the world's mail volume in the most efficient and timely fashion. 

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO DESTROY SUCH A VALUABLE, TRUSTED, AND RELIABLE ASSET?

CONGRESS - IT IS UP TO YOU.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

The officers of the OPWU want to wish everyone a joyous and safe holiday season.  In this most troubling economic time and with the uncertainty facing the Postal Service, we all need the comfort of our families and the faith that things will get better.

Here is a very short list of gifts that would make 2012 a happier year for postal employees:

For Congress - grow a pair and get legislation passed to correct the financial problems facing the USPS.  Remember, it is the United States Postal SERVICE.

For the Postmaster General - a new job.  You are not doing very well with your current one.

For the APWU - a more committed membership.

For the OPWU - a successful early year membership drive.

For Everyone - Peace on earth and Goodwill towards all.

50,000+!!

In less than 3 years of operation our website has passed the 50,000 visit mark.  In the first year we managed just a little over 10,000 visits, but since then we have grown almost double each year.  We want to most sincerely thank all of you that visit here and we pledge to keep our site updated with information for postal employees and their families.

We will continue to expand our Member Resources section with news and pages that will interest and inform members of our organization.  If you know an APWU member that might like our site, please have them apply.  It is password protected and the only requirement is membership in the American Postal Workers Union.  We definitely need more member involvement and encourage our local unions to use this site for the benefit of their membership.

Again, thanks for being involved and for visiting our website.

Terry Grant, President OPWU AFL-CIO

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

We're Drowning in a Tub!

Washington DC - 12/4/11

The good ship U.S. Postal Service hit a financial iceberg today in the Sea of Consolidation and it is feared that it will sink before it makes it back into port.  The ship's captain, Patrick Donahoe, is said to be throwing 250 mail processing plants overboard in an attempt to keep the ship afloat.  He has also ordered the sealing of almost 4000 post offices to help with balast as the ship limps home.  He was quoted over the ship's radio as saying: "The things I have control over here on the Postal Service, we have to do.  If we do nothing we will have a death spiral". He probably meant "death whirlpool".

OK - I guess that sounds kind of hokey, but at least it illustrates how our Postmaster General has chosen to address the financial problems facing our Service.  What I do not understand is how does cutting delivery standards, closing post offices, consolidating mail processing, and losing revenue stream going to help right the ship?  Does it really make sense for a service that relies solely on revenue generated to make itself less accessible, offer less service, and close thousands of your revenue generating offices? 

Even though there are more than a dozen bills now in Congress that offer, in some form, relief to the USPS; it does not seem that our elected officials are in any hurry to pass legislation to protect the Postal Service.  Going into an election year they must be afraid to take a stand on any position.  Allowing the best postal system in the world to sink into a third-world kind of service is unthinkable to me.  Especially since there are simple fixes available that would guarantee sound financial footing for years to come.  HR 1351 or S 1853 are answers that provide for continued "universal service at uniform rates" without closing offices, consolidating processing centers, losing thousands of jobs, and lowering delivery standards.  COME ONE CONGRESS - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER AND GET SOMETHING DONE!!!!!

The USPS is part of the infrastructure of this country.  Making it less available to our citizens is simple not the answer.  When PMG Donahoe announced in the Federal Register that they were studying the possiblity of closing processing centers and wanted public comments, they received 4400 within 30 days and most of them were against the idea.  Small town mayors cited the economic harm if offices were closed. So did small business owners.  ESPN The Magazine and Crain Communications, printers of some 27 trade and consumer publications said delays to first class delivery could RUIN the value of their news.  Netflix said it would put them out of business.  Seniors worried about social security checks, medicare payments, and prescription drugs.  Newspapers and time sensitive magazines could very well be put out of business. AT&T which mails 55 million customer billing statements every month worries that slower delivery would cause deliquent payments.  Don't all of these situations provide strong reasons why postal management should NOT close offices and processing centers or change delivery standards?

Management would say because I am involved in the postal labor movement, my judgement is clouded by my loyality to postal employees. That is true, however it is not hard to realize a really bad idea when I see one.  If Postmaster General Donahoe does not want to fight to save the sinking ship, then he ought to put on a lifejacket, jump overboard and swim away. 

Terry Grant, President Ohio Postal Workers Union AFL-CIO