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General Time Line Set for Early Outs
APWU News Service Bulletin #12-03, June 20, 2003 | PDF
APWU President William Burrus and Vice President Cliff Guffey met with postal officials today to discuss implementation of the agreement to offer early retirement to eligible APWU-represented employees. A general time line has been established for management to notify eligible employees, and for workers to express interest in early retirement and make their final decisions.
USPS headquarters will instruct area-level officials to identify eligible employees and send them Letters of Interest for Early Retirement. The letters will require a response by a specific date. Postal headquarters will also instruct managers to review the personnel file of each employee who is considered eligible, to ensure that he or she meets the criteria for early retirement. A specific date for the initiation of the process will be determined at the area level; it is mutually expected to begin by the second week of July.
The early retirements are expected to take effect during October 2003 and February 2004 so that they will not adversely affect operations during heavy mailing periods. The final determination on dates will depend on the number of employees in an installation who elect to retire early as well as their skills.
At the time early retirement is approved for an employee, a specific date will be established for termination of his or her USPS employment.In those circumstances where employees who elect to retire cannot be replaced from the existing complement, discussions will occur on other means of replacing them through reassignment, training or transfer.
Contrary to announcements by some area-level postal officials, opportunities for early retirement will be offered to all eligible APWU employees, pursuant to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and within the rules established by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Agreement has been reached to hold a tripartite meeting with officials of OPM.The meeting will be held at the earliest possible date, depending on the availability of the three parties.
OPM notified the union on June 16 that it had approved the Postal Service’s request for authority to offer Voluntary Early Retirement. The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and the USPS, approved last December, required management to seek authority to offer early retirement. The Postal Service formally sought approval in a petition to OPM on Jan. 23.Approval of the petition was delayed pending the publication of new regulations governing early retirements as part of the Homeland Security Act.
Sen. Carper Introduces Postal Reform Legislation
On June 18, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) introduced a bill that could become a vehicle for implementing a wide range of legislative reforms affecting the Postal Service.
Carper’s bill, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (S. 1285), will not likely be considered before the President’s Commission on the Postal Service submits its recommendations for postal change to the Bush Administration and Congress, but he said that he hopes his bill will help guide the commission as it completes its work.
"My bill does not attempt to reform the Postal Service by rolling back universal service or taking pay, benefits or collective bargaining rights away from employees,” Carper said in a press release announcing the introduction of his bill.
The bill would create a new process for closing or consolidating plants and post offices that would make it harder for affected communities to intervene.
Among other provisions, Carper’s bill would:
"We look forward to working with Sen. Carper to address the union’s concerns when Congress begins shaping postal reform legislation,” said APWU President William Burrus.
Eight-Digit Employee ID Numbers
To Replace Social Security Numbers
The Postal Service notified the APWU this month that it would begin using eight-digit employee identification numbers to replace the use of Social Security numbers on employee records.The new employee identification numbers will be included on earnings statements beginning pay period 14-03 (dated July 3).Absent a business need for the Social Security number, the employee identification number will replace the Social Security number in all postal systems, beginning with the Time and Attendance System (TACS).
In a meeting on June 12, 2003, the Postal Service said it wants to remove Social Security numbers from any documents or reports that are available on the workroom floor to help protect employees from identity theft.Social Security numbers will continue to be part of payroll information because the USPS must report the numbers to the Internal Revenue Service. With the substitution of employee identification numbers, however, Social Security numbers will gradually become less visible on printed material.
The Postal Service will randomly assign numbers to current employees, assuring that employees who work side-by-side or spouses don’t have sequential numbers. The computer systems will automatically assign the next available number to new hires. The switch to the eight-digit numbers will be gradual.
Moe Biller Labor Lecture Series
"The Future of the Postal Service: Is Legislative or Regulatory Change Essential?” is the topic for the second annual Moe Biller Labor Issues Conference, set for Tuesday, July 22, at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.
The day-long conference is likely to be the last chance for opinion leaders, stakeholders and policy makers to exchange views about important postal issues before the President’s Commission on the U.S. Postal Service delivers its report.
Key members of Congress and mailing-industry leaders are expected to participate, along with union officials and consumer advocates.
The conference will examine the role of government in assuring postal services for all communities; whether a private enterprise would focus more on the needs of individuals or large mailers; how to allocate the costs of universal service, and regulation of postal service providers.
The Moe Biller Labor Issues Conference is endowed by the American Postal Workers Union in honor of its President Emeritus.Its goal is to build a tradition of presenting dialogue from a wide range of perspectives on issues of importance to working families.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Capital Hilton Hotel for the night of July 21, 2003.The specially-negotiated room rate is $159, plus tax. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HILTONS or 202-393-1000.Please request the special rate when making reservations.
There is a fee of $100 per person for registrations received by July 18, and $125 per person for reservations received later.The fee includes lunch.
For registration forms and additional information, visit the union’s web site at www.apwu.org or call the Secretary-Treasurer’s office at 202-842-4215
Registrations can be made online after June 27, faxed to 202-842-8530, or mailed to: Robert L. Tunstall, Secretary-Treasurer, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, 1300 L St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
Secretary-Treasurers’ Conference
Presidents, vice presidents, secretary-treasurers, treasurers, executive board members, trustees, and other officers with fiduciary responsibilities are invited to attend the final Secretary-Treasurer Seminar of 2003, which will be held Aug. 21 to Aug. 23 in New York City.
Presentations will be made on preparing the reports required by the IRS and the Department of Labor. Among the topics covered at the seminar are LM reports and IRS forms W2, W3, 941, and 990.
The three-day session begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, and ends at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Registration forms are available at the August Calendar of Events page at www.apwu.org. Complete the registration form and mail it to the National Secretary-Treasurer’s office at the address provided. The registration fee for the Basic and Advanced courses is $50; computer courses cost $100. The registration fee should accompany the completed registration form and it needs to be received at the APWU national Secretary-Treasurer’s office by Aug. 5. Registration fees are refundable for cancellations received prior to that date.
The conference is being conducted at the Hilton New York in Rockefeller Center. To make reservations, call 800-445-8667 (800-HILTONS) or visit the Hilton Web site, www.hilton.com. To get the guaranteed room rate of $139 (plus sales and occupancy taxes of about $20), reserve by July 21, and identify yourself as a participant in the APWU Secretary-Treasurer Seminar.
If you have any questions, please contact the Secretary-Treasurer’s office at 202-842-4215, or by fax at 202-842-8530.
COLA UPdate
An increase in the Consumer Price Index in May means that if the adjustment were made based on the fourth month in the six-month measuring period, the fourth Cost-Of-Living Adjustment under the National Agreement would give employees an annual raise of $270.
The adjustment, which is subject to fluctuation in the next two months of accounting, would amount to a 13-cent per hour increase, which works out to $10.40 per pay period. The fourth COLA will be based on the July 2003 index point.
Any increase will be effective as of Sept. 6 (pay period 20-2003) and will be reflected in Sept. 26 paychecks.
Pay scales can be seen at www.apwu.org.
Retirement, Injury Compensation Conference
The last News Service bulletin (Vol. 33, No. 11, June 16) inadvertently omitted some registration information for the APWU seminars on retirement counseling, injury compensation, and union-building, scheduled for July 9-12 in Santa Clara, CA:
The registration fee for the four-day event is $80, and includes graduation luncheon on Saturday, July 12. Late registration will be accepted on a space-available basis, but no walk-ins will be permitted.
Registration forms are available at www.apwu.org. Send the completed form and payment to: American Postal Workers Union, 1300 L St. NW, Washington, DC 20005, Attention: Human Relations Department.
Rooms have been blocked at the Hilton Santa Clara (about seven miles from San Jose International Airport) at a special APWU room rate of $109 per night. Reservations should be made directly with the hotel at 408-330-0001.
