Positions Change as Legislation Evolves

Burrus Update #03-06, Jan. 25, 2006

In several recent updates I have written about the changing positions of those within the postal community who have become less than enamored with postal reform. I reiterated the APWU position, which has been consistent since the establishment of the Presidential Commission and throughout the legislative process: Postal reform will not achieve the stated objectives and will be more harmful than continuing operations under the current law.

Yesterday, the Postal Board of Governors, including the postmaster general and his deputy, notified Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, that the Postal Service now officially opposes the pending legislation. [Governors' letter to Collins - PDF]

While APWU believes that release of approximately $3 billion from an escrow account and the transfer of responsibility for military retirement expenses are positive provisions of the pending bill (S. 662), they are outweighed by other stipulations, including proposals that would give excessive authority to a Postal Regulatory Board and that would reduce Workers’ Compensation benefits.

The intent of postal reform supporters has been to control costs at the expense of service to the American public. The major mailers are unconvinced that postal management will take the steps necessary to reduce costs — including labor costs — without outside intervention. Legislation was thus written to remove from postal management responsibility for the core decisions involved in operating the postal system.

While the APWU has continual problems with the decisions of postal management, including the consolidation plan, we at least have a forum to resolve our disputes. Transferring those decisions to a politically appointed board with a politically dominated agenda would be bad for postal workers and bad for the American public.

While the Senate is expected to vote on the pending legislation within the next several days, the Bush administration has threatened a veto and postal management has now officially opposed the bill in its present form.

William Burrus
President

[back to top]