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Anti-Labor Provisions Threaten Postal ‘Reform’
Burrus Update #09-06, July 19, 2006
The outlook for passage of postal reform legislation in this session of Congress appears more uncertain than ever, largely as a result of the Bush administration’s renewed insistence that anti-labor provisions be included.
At a meeting last week attended by key congressional sponsors and White House officials, the administration made clear its demands for support of the legislation: The White House insists that the provisions allowing the unions to defer unresolved collective bargaining issues to binding arbitration be modified to require arbitrators to consider the economic health of the Postal Service in their final decision.
An additional point of contention involves placing limits on the USPS’ ability to adjust postage rates. At the urging of the large mailers, the administration is demanding that postage-rate increases — with very few exceptions — be limited by increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The White House continues to oppose provisions that would limit excessive worksharing discounts — which the APWU supports — and is adamant that the legislation must cut the rights and benefits of injured workers, which the APWU opposes.
That these issues are being considered is a matter of extreme importance to the American Postal Workers Union, and is confirmation of our position: “This is bad legislation that would do more harm to the Postal Service and its employees than continuing under current law.”
Large corporate advertising mailers supported the White House demands.
As expressed in previous Updates, the APWU position has been criticized by some in the postal community as being supportive of the position taken by the Board of Governors and the postmaster general. Despite that criticism, we have been consistent in our view that postal reform provides an opportunity for certain political forces to pursue their anti-worker, anti-service agenda. We feel that this threat far outweighs any possible beneficial effects of legislation.
Those organizations that proclaimed they had forged a “working relationship” with corporate mailers are now discovering that in the final analysis commercial entities will follow the dollar and pursue legislation only insofar as it is favorable to them. The phrase “But will you still love me in the morning?” is apropos as an analogy for those relationships that were boasted of in the early days of the quest for reform, but are now fraying at the edges.
William Burrus
President
