Addressing OPM Problems

(This article appeared in the May/June 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

Judy Beard, Director

Many APWU members who retired in October have reported that they still have not received regular annuity checks. We also have heard that many retirees receive a busy signal every time they call the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on the agency’s toll-free number.

This is an intolerable situation, and I have met with OPM officials several times in an effort to resolve these problems. I will continue meeting with OPM to resolve our members’ complaints. Currently, issues are being addressed on an individual basis. Please contact my office if you are experiencing a problem obtaining information about retirement and need assistance.

In a February letter to John Berry, OPM Director, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) sharply criticized OPM’s “delayed efforts to modernize their retirement information system.” These delays have inconvenienced APWU retirees for years.

Mikulski also addressed complaints about the “length of time required to calculate service credit deposits and re-deposits, COLAs, and court-ordered benefits.” She noted that 132,000 federal employees that have complained about lack of access to information that they need to plan for retirement. “In a time of strained family budgets, federal employees retirees need certainty and reliable information; this cannot be a casual endeavor for your office,” she wrote.

Register Now for the 2010 Retirees Meeting!

Registration is currently underway for the biennial APWU Retirees meeting, which will be held on Aug. 21 and 22, just prior to the union’s National Convention in Detroit. I encourage you to join your fellow retirees at our gathering, which will take place at the Cobo Convention Center. This year’s meeting will feature discussion of resolutions submitted to the convention, retiree chapter reports, information about legislative issues that impact retirees and their survivors, and more.

APWU Retiree Photo Contest Winners