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Voluntary Early Retirement 2008
Voluntary Early Retirement Incentives
(10/21/08— Question
submitted to "Ask the President")
You have written about union demands that the Postal Service offer
incentives to employees who are offered early-outs. Do you expect to
accomplish this within the one-year time frame (ending June 2009) that
the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has given the Postal Service
for Voluntary Early Retirements (VERs)?
[President
Burrus’ Response]
Tour
2, Early-Outs, Four-Day Workweeks
(10/15/08) The national union has received information from local
presidents — but
not from postal management — of USPS plans to eliminate Tour 2 at mail
processing facilities across the country, APWU President William Burrus said
in a recent Update for union members. The lack of consultation violates
the employer/union relationship, he said, and the union will “respond appropriately” to
the threat to Tour 2 and to other management initiatives. [read
more]
Early-Retirement Info Wrong, Burrus Tells USPS
(09/10/08) APWU President William Burrus has notified the Postal
Service of significant errors in information the USPS provided to employees
eligible for Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) and has requested management’s “immediate attention to these matters” so
that employees do not suffer irrevocable harm as a result. [read more]
Burrus Says: ‘DON’T GO!’
VER Expanded to Maintenance, MVS
(09/04/08) With news that the Postal Service will offer Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) to Motor Vehicle Services and Maintenance Craft employees – except Electronic Technicians – APWU President William Burrus is reiterating his advice to union members: DON’T GO!
[read
more]
VER Eligible? ‘Make USPS Pay’
(08/19/08) The Postal Service offer of Voluntary Early Retirements
is a response to the significant decline in mail volume and the resultant
cash-flow emergency, President Burrus told delegates. The opportunity
to retire early may be tempting, he added, but it is not being offered
for the employee’s benefit. [read
more]
Burrus
to VER-Eligible Employees: ‘DON’T GO’
(07/15/08)
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.” [read
more]
Who
Will Be Eligible
For the ‘Early-Out’ Offer?
(07/15/08) 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 must be of any age and have at least 25 years of creditable service.
[read
more]
Burrus:
Employees Would Be
Best Served by Postponing Early-Out Decisions
(07/11/08) Postal workers
who are considering early retirement should take a “wait-and-see” attitude
before making a decision, APWU President William Burrus said in a recent Update for
union members. Compelling reasons include pending discussions regarding
eligibility and incentives, an uncertain economy, low mail volume,
and the Postal Service’s need to reduce the workforce, he said. [read
more]
APWU Meets with USPS,
Seeks Bargaining Over Early-Outs
(07/09/08) APWU President William
Burrus met with postal officials July 8 regarding USPS plans to offer
early-retirement opportunities to 40,000 employees. “I
conveyed our strongly-held belief that the Postal Service is required
to bargain with the union over Voluntary Early Retirement opportunities,” Burrus
said.
“I also reiterated our request for all pertinent information,” he said, “including the Postal Service’s request to the Office of Personnel Management requesting authority to offer early-outs, and OPM’s response.” Under the law, federal agencies, including the Postal Service, must receive approval from OPM to offer Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) opportunities to their employees. [read more]
APWU, USPS to Meet July 8 Over Possible 'Early Out' Offer
(07/07/08)
APWU President William Burrus will meet with USPS officials on Tuesday,
July 8, to address the union’s demand for bargaining
over possible management plans to offer Voluntary Early Retirement
to APWU-represented employees. The union learned unofficially on July
3 that the Postal Service had requested authority from the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) to offer early retirement to 40,000 postal
employees.
No specifics of any early-retirement plan are available. “As information is provided, we will share it with our members,” Burrus said. [read more]
APWU to Meet With USPS
Over Possible 'Early Out' Offer
(07/03/08) The union has learned unofficially that the Postal Service
has requested from OPM the authority to offer early retirement
to 40,000 postal employees. In response to an inquiry from his office,
APWU President William Burrus writes in an Update to union members,
a meeting with Postal Service headquarters has been scheduled for
Monday, July 7, regarding these reports. [read more]