William Burrus  APWU President

Ask the President

Question:

Employees are hearing that the Postal Service will not have sufficient funds to pay employees come September. Many of us are worried that we will not get paid. Is the rumor true? What is the union planning on doing to prevent this from happening?

Robert, New Jersey Mid-State Area Local

President Burrus:

Thank you for your inquiry about Postal Service finances and the possibility that the USPS will be unable to make payroll this September.

The postmaster general has publicly stated that the USPS financial situation has deteriorated to such an extent that — without congressional intervention — the USPS will have insufficient funds to meet all its financial obligations.

Although I am not an “expert” on postal finances, it is clear that the situation is dire. That is why the APWU has been an outspoken advocate of H.R. 22, a bill that would relieve the USPS of the obligation to fund retiree healthcare benefits from its operating budget.

We also have sought to expose fundamental flaws in the USPS business strategy, which grants excessive postage discounts to major mailers that engage in “worksharing.” These discounts rob the USPS of desperately-needed revenue and jeopardize the viability of the Postal Service.

Notwithstanding the fiscal crisis, however, I have every expectation that the union and management will abide by all the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Employees’ wages, benefits, and conditions of employment are contractual obligations that must be met, and the union would vigorously contest any failure to comply with these requirements.

June 15, 2009