Action on Postal 'Reform' Legislation Expected Soon
Burrus Update #3-2005, March 11, 2005
Legislation to overhaul the Postal Service is on track to be presented in the Senate soon, and discussions between the White House and the Senate and House committees with jurisdiction are ongoing.
The major issues of concern to APWU that are under discussion are:
- Whether the Postal Service will continue to be responsible for the retirement costs for military service of USPS employees (no other federal agency pays these costs);
- The release from escrow of approximately $70 billion that the Postal Service overpaid to the Civil Service Retirement fund;
- Weakening the limits on excessive “worksharing” discounts that were adopted by the Senate committee last year;
- Restrictions on USPS authority to increase rates;
- Changes to the pricing and classification of single-piece parcel-post mail that could force the Postal Service to discontinue providing the service; and
- Reductions to compensation for employees who are injured on the job.
In addition, the following anti-union proposals have been circulated, but have not been accepted by the sponsors of the legislation:
- A request by the USPS Board of Governors [PDF] and the Postmaster General that would require the union to negotiate for benefits – such as healthcare and retirement – that are currently guaranteed by law; and
- A proposal that would require arbitrators to factor into their decisions on postal worker contracts a selective set of economic criteria (such as the Postal Service’s “present financial health”) that would virtually guarantee that the wages and benefits of postal workers would be eroded.
APWU is engaged in the discussions to resolve the outstanding issues. However, items 7 and 8 are viewed as destructive, anti-union amendments. Their consideration would require the APWU – and perhaps other postal unions – to use all of our resources to defeat this effort at postal “reform.”
William Burrus
President
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