What’s On Our Radar for 2016?

(This article first appeared in the March-April 2016 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

Here is a look at upcoming legislative issues in 2016 – and a recap of our activities in 2015.

We spent the first year of the 114th Congress defending postal workers and supporting bills that would improve the lives of working Americans in a legislature that is not predisposed to backing working people.

Some excellent defense was played against attacks on stewards’ time and worker compensation (FECA) for federal workers. Education and lobbying efforts helped us avoid cuts to Social Security disability insurance.

Some good things were accomplished in 2015:

• The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was approved. The law restored 75 years of medical coverage for 9/11 first responders two months after the expiration of the James Zadroga Act – which originally provided health care to these heroes.
• A multi-year Highway Bill was passed. The legislation will enable our construction industry to start projects that will employ many brothers and sisters in the building and transportation trades, while fixing roads and improving our inadequate infrastructure.
• A “Doc Fix” law was adopted. The measure strengthens Medicare by improving payments to physicians so they can serve Medicare patients without losing money. Encouraging doctors to treat Medicare patients is critical for our retirees and active members.
• The Affordable Care Act’s “Cadillac Tax” on health plans was delayed two years. The tax will affect many union-negotiated health benefits, including ours, which the law considers too generous. Although the tax wasn’t eliminated, postponing its implementation was a victory.

Because 2016 is an election year, Congress is expected to have even fewer working days than usual and to be less willing to compromise on legislation.

However, there is a good chance that several important issues will be addressed this year.

• Budget deliberations will be a major topic and could have important implications for postal and federal workers.
• The Tribal Sovereignty Bill that passed the House will be awaiting action in the Senate. The APWU opposes the bill, which is designed to remove collective bargaining rights from 700,000 workers on Native American lands, the majority of whom are not Native Americans. This bill is about union busting, not tribal sovereignty. We will continue working with the AFL-CIO to defeat this attack on workers’ rights.
• There are currently 70 vacant judgeships in district and federal courts, but only 11 nominees were approved by the Senate in 2015. The backlog is delaying justice nationwide.
• The APWU will work with the AFL-CIO and other allies to secure passage of the WAGE Act, which would strengthen protections for workers trying to form unions.

The Supreme Court heard a case in January that has important implications for the labor movement. In Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a non-member challenged the union’s right to collect fees from non-members to cover the costs associated with negotiating collective bargaining agreements that cover members and non-members alike.

This is an issue of fairness and payment for services rendered. The briefs supporting these fees are of high quality, but I look forward with apprehension to the outcome of this case.

To end on a high note, I urge you to read a NY Times column, Why the Post Office Makes America Great, which can be found at www.nytimes.com.