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Union Wary About Pending Postal Reform Bills

APWU Web News Article #47-05, Sept. 23, 2005

APWU President William Burrus has expressed concern about postal reform legislation pending in Congress, telling key legislators that if the final legislation does not provide the USPS with “real flexibility and authority,” the Postal Service would be better off under current law.

In a Sept. 20 letter to U.S. Senators and Representatives who have led the movement for postal reform legislation, Burrus reiterated the union’s long-standing opposition to granting excessive power to a proposed Postal Regulatory Board.

The letter was sent to Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-ME), chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the committee’s ranking Democrat; and to Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), chairman of the Committee on Government Reform; Rep. Henry Waxman of California, the committee’s ranking Democrat; Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).

Burrus praised the “strong leadership, insight, and determination” the legislators have shown in the postal reform debate, and expressed deep appreciation to them “for standing by the principle of free collective bargaining.” He also commended them for resisting efforts to institutionalize excessive worksharing discounts.

But the union shares several of the concerns expressed by the USPS Board of Governors in a letter dated Sept. 13. “We have consistently maintained that the legislation in both houses of Congress must leave the Governors with the authority they will need to oversee the business of the Postal Service,” the union president wrote.

As currently written, both the House and Senate bills would limit postage rates based on the Consumer Price Index, and would give authority for establishing service standards to the Postal Regulatory Board. The union has long asserted that strict limits on postage rates would result in wage caps that undermine collective bargaining. The union also contends that allowing a politically-appointed regulatory board to define standards would weaken service.

The Board of Governors’ letter has caused consternation among some proponents of postal reform who fear it may derail legislation they have sought for many years.

“I can’t understand why they waited so long to articulate their views,” Burrus said, “but several of their concerns are valid. And a bad bill is not worth having.”

The union did not endorse all of the recommendations in the Board of Governors letter, however. The APWU strongly disagreed with a USPS recommendation that the legislators repeal a provision of the law that stipulates that benefits cannot fall below levels established in 1971. That provision was first enacted by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 and was intended to keep postal benefits on a par with those received by other federal workers.

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