e-Team Report, Sept. 2, 2011
President Guffey to Testify before Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs
On Tuesday September 6, APWU President Cliff Guffey will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs at a hearing titled: “U.S. Postal Service in Crisis: Proposals to Prevent a Postal Shutdown” . The Hearing will start at 2 PM. EST. President Guffey will be on the second panel of two panels.
To read more on the APWU's website about the hearing please click here.
Contact Your Member of the House Today!
When Congress comes back into session right after Labor Day both Houses of Congress are going to be looking at revamping the Postal Service and/or fixing billions in FERS and CSRS overpayments which have been made by the Postal Service. Many bills have already been introduced in both Houses of Congress taking aim at overhauling the Postal Service while others look to allow access to billions in overpayments made by the Postal Service into both FERS and CSRS retirement funds. Multiple legislators have polarizing views as to how to fix the Postal Service and the USPS’s financial problems. 
The APWU are asking our members to reach out and urge their member of Congress to cosponsor and support Congressman Lynch’s H.R. 1351, which will let the USPS use billions of dollars in CSRS and FERS overpayments to meet its financial obligations. Unlike, other bills that address the pension overpayments, H.R. 1351 will not attack the rights of workers to collectively bargain.
Also, tell your member of Congress to oppose Congressman Issa’s H.R. 2309. Rep. Darrell Issa’s H.R. 2309 does not correct the massive USPS overpayments to its CSRS and FERS pension accounts. Congressman Issa’s bill will wage an attack on current negotiated wages, benefits, and protection against layoffs of postal workers.
What can you do to help? Contact your member of Congress today! You can reach your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard today at (202) 224-3121 or to find your member of congress click here. If you have not already sent a quick message to your member of congress asking them to cosponsor H.R. 1351 and oppose H.R. 2309 take action today by clicking both of the links below. To send your member of congress a quick message asking them to cosponsor and support H.R. 1351 please click here. To send a quick message to your member of congress asking them to oppose Congressman Issa’s H.R. 2309 please click here.
[H.R. 1351 Co-sponsors]
Republican Leaders Intend to Repeal Labor Regulations and Labor Board Issue Multiple Decisions
This week House Majority leader Eric Cantor said that after Congress comes back from recess it will look to prevent the NRLB from controlling where an employer can relocate to in the U.S. To read more please click here.
Also this week the NLRB has issued three decisions. Two of the three decisions deal with union decertification and one decision overturned a Bush Era Decision that required Certified Nursing Assistant’s (CNA’s) to collectively bargain with other non-CNA staff. To read more about the three new NRLB decisions please click here.
Rolling Stone Article about War on Voting and Arizona Challenges Voting Rights Act
Just this week Rolling Stone Magazine came out with an article that sheds light about the current battle at the state level lead by the Koch brothers and the Republican party that is trying to prevent millions of voters from being able to cast a vote in next year’s elections. To read the entire Rolling Stone Article please click here.
Recently Arizona’s Attorney General Cited called sections of the Voting Rights Act, “archaic and not based on fact”. Specifically Arizona’s AG is looking to do away with the requirement of the act to obtain pre-clearance from the Department of Justice prior to making election law changes. To read the full article click here.