H.R. 2382 Passes the House!

(This article first appeared in the March/April 2020 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

Last month, the USPS Fairness Act passed the House of Representatives. This was the critical first step in repealing the pre-funding mandate that has plagued the Postal Service since it was signed into law under the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

Prior to the bill’s passage, Postal Service detractors sent their lobbyists to Capitol Hill to push the false narrative that eliminating the pre-funding mandate would cause a taxpayer-funded bailout. Fortunately, APWU rose to the occasion and participated in an emergency day of action where we called our Representatives to urge a YES vote on H.R. 2382. The hard work paid off and ultimately defeated the pro-privatization forces in the House.

Now we have shifted our focus to the bill’s companion legislation in the Senate, S. 2965, which was introduced by Senator Daines (R-MT) and Senator Schatz (D-HI) (for more information on our actions on S. 2965, see page 8). In addition to fighting for the USPS Fairness Act in the Senate, your national Legislative Department is building support for additional legislative fixes to bolster our Postal Service. In the 116th Congress, APWU will continue to educate lawmakers on the need for improving USPS service standards and empowering USPS to innovate and provide additional products to meet the needs of the 21st century.

Presidents 2021 Budget Released

The White House released its 2021 budget plan and made clear its intention to balance tax breaks for billionaires on the backs of working people – including postal and federal workers. The White House budget would:

• Reduce pay and benefits for postal workers.
• Reduce mail delivery days. H.R. 2382 Passes the House!
• Franchise out mailboxes.
• Calculate pensions for new FERS retirees by switching from the High 3 formula to the High 5 formula.
• Eliminate the FERS annuity supplement.
• Levy a 1 percent annuity contribution increase each year for the next six years for FERS employees. The employees will not see any additional money from this.
• Eliminate the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for FERS retirees and reduces the COLA by half for CSRS retirees.
• Reduce the rate of return for the TSP G fund.

Thankfully, Congress puts together their own budget, and we are actively engaging members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, to educate them on how the White House’s budget will adversely affect postal workers and their families.

2020 Census

The 2020 Census will determine the allocation of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The census is a constitutionally required survey that occurs every ten years, and determines the distribution of power across the country.

In 2010, eight states received more seats in the House while ten states lost seats. Understanding the implications of the census is important, especially during our ongoing work to pass legislation in the House. We are constantly working to build relationships with members of Congress and the census could result in us gaining or losing key allies or opponents. When you receive your census, make it a priority to complete and return it.