USPS Dangling Incentive For APWU Members To Vote YES On Contract

Posted on by postal

From a PostalReporter reader: Name withheld upon request

from withheld
to Lucille Caldwell
date Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 1:17 AM
subject PSE’s Health Insurance

Did you notice this unusual health insurance provision in the proposed USPS-APWU Tentative National Agreement, buried on pages 173 to 174? The Postal Service is dangling this as an incentive for APWU members to vote YES on the proposed contract.

After an initial appointment for a 360-day term and upon reappointment to another 360-day term, any eligible non-career PSE employee who wants to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program on a pretax basis will be required to make an election to do so in accordance with procedures to be published as soon as administratively practicable. A previous appointment as a transitional employee will count toward qualifying for participation in FEHB, in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations. The total cost of health insurance is the responsibility of the PSE employee, except as provided below.

The Postal Service will make a contribution in the amount of 75% of the total premium for any eligible PSE who selects the APWU Consumer Driven Health Plan.

Only an APWU member can belong to this FEHBP health plan. Isn’t that clever? Under this proposed contract a Postal Support Employee that doesn’t join the APWU will lose an employer-contribution of $6,817 annually on his/her family health insurance enrollment or $3030 on a self only enrollment [see APWU attachment based on 2011 rates].

20 thoughts on “USPS Dangling Incentive For APWU Members To Vote YES On Contract”

  2. YES FRANK!! YOU ARE THEW ONLY ONE HERE WHO CAN SEE THE TRUTH
    SCAB?? NO!!! SMART??YESSS!!!!

    IF THEU NION IS SO GREAT WHY ARE ALL YOU ASSHOLES LIKE JASON HERE COMPLAINING?!?!?!

    YOU KNOW THE UNION SUCKS!! JUST LIKE OBAMA!!!

  3. Bronxboy – get a life. Why should I pay someone for the right to work. The union staff is just feed off the members. Not one of them works hard enough to earn the money paid to them. Get rid of the unions and this country will be back on its feet in no time. I am a SCAB and proud of it.

  4. YOU CAN’T GET MUCH DUMBER PEOPLE IN THE POST OFFICE THEN THEY HAVE ALL READY!!! WHAT HAS THE UNION DONE FOR ME?? NOTHING !!I GIVE THEM SLAM DUNK WINNING GRIEVANCES AND THEY CAN’T NEGOTIATE THEM IF THIER LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!! I WROTE A GRIEVEANCE AND THE DUMBASS REP DID’NT KNOW THE ARTICLES EXISTED AND WITH HIS 7TH GRADE EDUCATION HE DID NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS READING,HE ADMITTED THAT TO ME AND BEGGED ME TO HELP HIM !! WHERE IS MY GRIEVENCE NOW-3 YEARS LATER?? NO ONE CAN ANSWER THAT WHY? BECAUSE IT INVOLVES MONEY.ITS NOT THE GRIEVANCE THE UNION TRIES SO HARD TO WIN,LIKE SOME LOSER WHO DESERVES TO BE FIRED FOR REASONS LIKE,POOR ATTENADENCE,BEING DRUNK AT WORK ,AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE–DEFENDING A DUMB ASS CUSTODIAN BUSTED FOR SELLING DRUGS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY,GOES TO JAIL FOR MONTHS AND THEY FIGHT FOR HIM TO GET HIS JOB BACK–A FEDERAL OFFENSE AND HE GETS HIS JOB BACK!!! WHY?? NOT BECAUSE HE BY ANY WAY DESERVES IT,BECAUSE THEY PLAYED THE RACE CARD AND CLAIM THE POSY OFFICE WAS’PICKING ON HIM’ BECAUSE HE IS BLACK!!!! WHAT DOES THE UNION DO FOR ME?? REMEMEBER THIS ONE–UPS GOES ON STRIKE WE PICK UP THE SLACK AND MAKES THE POST OFFICE MILLIONS IN SURPLUS CASH–UPS RETURNS FROM THE STRIKE WITH A 10% RAISE–WHAT DOES MY UNION GET US??? 1.5% WOW i SHOULD EMPTY MY BANK ACCOUNT AND DONATE TO THEUNION SO THE DUMBASS REPS CAN GO TO VEGAS AGAIN THIS YEAR–WELL NOT ON DIME!!
    ANYONE WHO IS A DUES PAYING MEMBER OF THE UNION IS THE REAL DUMB BASTARD–CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF REPRESENTATION YOU GET –WHY THE HELL WOOULD YOU PAY FOR THAT–JUST GOOGLE ANY UNION OFFICIAL–SEE HOW MUCH OF YOUR DUES THEY STEAL–YOU ARE THE SUCKERS!! NOT ME!! 20+YEARS OF DUES PAID FOR A LOT OF VACATIONS FOR ME –JUST DO THE MATH–YOU DUMB ASSHOLES!!!

  5. My blue cross blue shield plan only cost 32.44. Works great and is nationally recognized without dues. I’m not anti union just sayin

  6. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Sounds like the Union and Postal officers are sleeping together. Hofefully both with get aids and die. Inaddition to we have 6% casuals now and going to 20%
    This is a BAD CONTRACT..VOTE NO

  7. This contract is union-busying ! The bottom line is that the USPS is “dumbing down” the postal workforce in terms of turning this from a job that can support a family to a job that CANNOT support a family.
    In a nutshell, this will reduce the value of the job enough that future employees will have to go get an additional job to make ends meet. Is this what we want to do to our future brothers and sisters ?

    If YOU were getting paid at $12 or $13 an hour to start and never rose high enough to make a decent living, would you have stayed with the job ?

    Guffey has made a future killing decision; listen to Bill Burress, HE would never have accepted this disgraceful contract !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. Hey Joe Blow,
    Where did you get that name? Hmmmm. I know to join the NALC insurance you have to be a full dues paying member even if you are in another craft.
    Joe, who do you turn your wage increases in to that the Union secured. It sounds like you do not want those raises and benefits.

  9. Well said, Joe Blow…

    And by well said, I mean you sound like an uneducated pain in the ass.

    I dream of the day when people who hate the Union can opt out… and in doing so FORFEIT everything the Union has fought for.

    Less pay, less benefits, you can get laid off, you can get fired for any reason, etc… but what has the Union done for Joe Blow? According to him, absolutely nothing… whatever Local represents you is probably better off having you as a scab – I sure as hell wouldn’t want to have to deal with you.

  10. FUCK YOU BRONXCOCKSUCKER !!
    I AM A 20+ YEAR NON UNION EMPLOYEE AND WOULD NEVER PAY THE SHITTY ASS UNION ONE DIME AS LONG AS I LIVE.
    THEY ARE THE WORST UNION ON THE PLANET
    A BUNCH OF CROOKS TAKING YOUR DUES AND NOT DOING ANYTHING BUT GOING ON TRIPS TO VEGAS!!
    THE ONLY SCAB HERE IS THE ONE ON YOUR HERPE INFESTED DICK!!

  12. I think if YOUR a Scab YOUR a scab… Dont know the details BUT tired of
    leeches riding on our backs. NOT in the Union F#$@ Y@#! !!!!!!!!!!!!! Just suck off management to own goals, disgusting self servers…Time to pay and join or go out with the rest! God I hate scabs, I mean leeches!!!!!
    In counry here, if not in union ya dont get the raises and benifits, so fair…
    Hope the first ones fired, laid off are the SCABS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH, I am not in the
    Union ????? ha ha ha ha ha
    20% of my country, fathers made the Union and PROUD of it, BUT
    DUMP the GUFF!!!!!!!!!!! Sold out OUR CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sell out the scabs YES!!!!

  14. @Scribeand pay to be)
    that’s not true. If you read what I wrote above, “other Postal Service employees in non-APWU bargaining units,and annuitants will automatically become associate
    members of APWU upon enrollment in the APWU Health”. You do NOT have to become a full member. I am a carrier and know several carriers who are enrolled in this plan and they DO NOT belong to the APWU. They are associates.

  15. THE TRUTH IS: POSTAL employees must join and pay full dues to any union to use their health plan; other government employees may become associate members. Repeat that: Employees of other gov’t agencies may become associate members; Postal employees cannot, but must become (and pay to be) full members.

  16. That is not new, it was in the last contract also. I am a proud member of APWU & have opted into the Consumer Driven Health Plan for the last 5 years because it is the best plan for me. Basically the same benefits as any other health plan with lower premiums. The low $35 annual associate fee that nonmembers pay would be recovered in premium savings. My fear is that everyone will see how great the Consumer Driven Plan is and switch to it causing all the other Insurance companies to go out of business. If the Federal Government would look at how good the consumer driven plans work, they would have their answer to health care reform.

  17. It is about time! Damm time of NON UNION MEMBERS aka SCABS RIDING OFF UNION MEMBERS BACKS AND GETTING THE SAME FRINGE BENEFITS OF UNION PAYING MEMBERS.
    NO OTHER UNION WOULD EVEN BLINK TO A NON PAYING MEMBER. ONLY THE A.P.W.U. WHO FEELS OBLIGATED TO FILE GRIEVENCES AND DEFEND NON UNION WORKERS IN ANTICIPATION THAT MAYBE THEY WILL JOIN.

    AROUND, WHERE I COME FROM IF YOUR NOT IN THE CLUB, YOU CAN NOT PLAY!

    THATS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE WITH THE A.PW.U. AND NON UNION MEMBERS aka SCABS.

  18. Actually you are wrong when you say that
    “Only an APWU member can belong to this FEHBP health plan. ” ANY fed can join this plan. If this sender of this email had bothered to look at the brochure it states on the first page
    “All Federal employees,other Postal Service employees in non-APWU bargaining units, and annuitants will automatically become associate
    members of APWU upon enrollment in the APWU Health
    Plan.
    Membership dues: Associate members will be billed by the
    APWU for the $35 annual membership fee, except where
    exempt by law. APWU will bill new associate members for
    the annual dues when it receives notice of enrollment.

    Many federal employees belong to this plan and they certainly didn’t join the APWU.

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