e-Team Report, March 23, 2012

Postal Reform Bill on Senate Floor Next Week

This upcoming week, the Senate looks ready to bring postal reform legislation to the Senate floor. As senators engage in last-minute discussions over possible amendments, now more than ever, both of your senators need to hear from you! This piece of legislation is tentatively scheduled for a vote as early as Monday, March 26. The APWU cannot support the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) in its current form and are asking members to contact your senators and encourage them to support amendments to S.1789 that would:

•    Provide adequate relief from the retiree healthcare prefunding requirement.

•    Set strict service standards. (The Postal Service is planning to degrade delivery standards in order to eliminate more than half of all mail processing facilities.)

•    Allow the USPS to recover overpayments the Postal Service made to its retiree pension funds.

•    Establish new ways to generate revenue, such as providing notary services, issuing licenses, contracting with state and local agencies to provide services, and allowing the USPS to offer services that mail systems in many other countries provide, such as digital services.

•    Prevent the closing of small post offices by giving the Postal Regulatory Commission binding authority to prevent closures based on the effect on the community and employees.

•    Protect six-day delivery.

•    Eliminate the provision that would drastically reduce the compensation of workers who are injured on duty once they reach retirement age.

•    Repeal the provision that would require arbitrators in postal contract negotiations to consider the financial health of the USPS. (Arbitrators routinely do so. The requirement is an attempt to skew contract negotiations in favor of management.) 

To send your senators a quick message, click here.

After you send a message to your senators, also make sure you take a minute to call their offices and tell them to amend S. 1789. You can also reach your senators by the Capitol swithcboard at 202-224-3121.

Sen. Mikulski Puts Hold on Postal Reform Bill

This week, Senator Mikulski (D-MD) put a hold on S. 1789 which means 60 votes will now be needed in the Senate before this legislation could move forward. To read the Senator’s objections, citing the right of her constituents to be heard and maintain their current standard of delivery service, please click here.

Sen. Collins Criticizes USPS Proposed Cuts

Also this week, Senator Collins (R-ME) took to the floor of the Senate to speak about postal reform. The Senator went on to criticize the postmaster’s plans to move forward with his proposed cuts. To watch, click the video below.

To watch the final two minutes of Senator Collin’s floor speech, please click here.

USPS Market Research on Consolidations: Revenue Losses Could Wipe Out Savings

Per recent USPS testimony before the Postal Regulatory Commission, cuts that have already been proposed by the Postal Service will result in billions in lost revenue. It has been widely reported this week that any savings realized after closing hundreds of processing facilities very well may be wiped out and possibly pale in comparison to the losses in revenue that these cuts will result in. 

To read the story on the APWU website, click here.