e-Team Report, May 10, 2013

The Postal Service Protection Act Gains Bipartisan Support

As the leaders of the House and Senate committees with postal jurisdiction privately work on their own postal reform bill, the Postal Service Protection Act (S. 316 and H.R. 630) continues to gain support in Congress.  By repealing the pre-fund mandate, reinstating delivery standards, and enabling new postal products, the Postal Service Protection Act embodies the principles the APWU has identified as essential to the long-term health of the USPS.

In the last week, two more senators and a dozen members of the House have signed on as co-sponsors of the postal reform bill.  It is worth noting that support for the bill grows more bipartisan as Republican Congressmen Peter King (R-NY), Chris Gibson (R-NY), and Tom Marino (R-PA) have thrown their support behind the bill in the last two weeks.

If your lawmakers are not on board yet, please take a moment to contact their office and ask for their support by clicking here.

To sign a petition asking for the White House’s position on the Postal Service Protection Act, please click here.

Postal Losses in Second Quarter Primarily Due to Prefund Mandate

For the first time in five years, the Postal Service posted an increase in revenue this quarter over last year, thanks in part to growing e-commerce and standard mail deliveries.  Despite these increases, the agency posted a net loss of $1.9 billion for the second quarter of the fiscal year.  As we’ve reported in the past, the congressionally mandated prefunding payments continue to make up the lion’s share of USPS losses.  Of the $1.9 billion in losses posted by the agency, a full $1.4 billion are due to the prefund mandate.

To read more about today’s USPS financial report, please click here.

Compensatory Time Bill Passes House, Draws Criticism from Obama Administration and Worker Advocates

This week, the House passed the Working Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406) which would allow private employers to offer employees unpaid, ‘compensatory’ time off in lieu of monetary overtime compensation.  The bill would permit eligible employees to earn an hour and a half of compensatory time – up to 160 hours—rather than wages at the overtime rate which current labor laws require. 

Proponents of the legislation argue the bill gives working families the flexibility needed to achieve a better work-life balance.  Opponents contend the law would be disastrous for workers who may be coerced into accepting time off, which is especially detrimental for low-wage employees who depend on schedule stability and overtime pay to make ends meet.  A provision in the bill stating workers may use compensatory time if it “does not unduly disrupt the operations of the employer” has also drawn the ire of worker advocates who argue leaving the use of compensatory time up to the discretion of employers creates an environment ripe for intimidation where workers may feel discouraged from taking time off.  

The bill does not impact those workers under collective bargaining agreements, but labor unions groups contend the legislation would hurt all workers. 

The Statement of Administration Policy issued by the White House this week voiced opposition to the bill, saying senior advisors would recommend the President veto the bill in its current form as it “undermines the existing right to hard-earned overtime pay.”

For more on the Working Families Flexibility Act, please click here.

House Bill Takes Aim at FEHBP

The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the program through which the vast majority of USPS employees and retirees get their health insurance coverage, is the target of a bill (H.R 1780) introduced by Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI).  If enacted into law, the bill would take every federal employee out of the FEHBP pool and move them to insurance exchanges offered by the Affordable Care Act.  While postal employees and retirees would keep their FEHBP coverage, the drastic removal of every federal employee from the pool would likely cause FEHBP premiums to rise for those who remain enrolled in the program.  For postal employees and retirees, the net effect of this poorly-crafted bill would be higher premiums.

To read more about H.R. 1780, please click here.

Republicans Delay Obama Nominee for Secretary of Labor

Yesterday a Senate committee plan to vote on President Obama’s pick for Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, was delayed by an anonymous Republican member’s invocation of an obscure Senate procedural rule.  Senate Democrats have accused Republicans of partisan obstructionism in delaying Perez’s confirmation while American families and workers are left struggling.  If approved by the committee, Perez still faces an uphill battle for enough votes to be confirmed as several Senate Republicans including, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida have stated they will vote against Perez.

For more on Senate delays of Thomas Perez’s nomination for Secretary of Labor, please click here.