APWU Members Must Let Senators Know Where We Stand
APWU News Bulletin 11-2012, April 20, 2012
The Senate will debate the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) beginning on Monday, April 23, with voting set to begin on Tuesday, April 24, as a result of an agreement by Senate leaders.
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Sen. Casey’s Amendment #2042Senators will be asked to consider a revised version of the legislation, which the bill’s sponsors introduced on April 17, along with up to 38 other amendments.
“It is crucial that APWU members let their senators know where we stand on this important bill,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “With the moratorium on the closure of mail processing plants and post offices set to expire on May 15, we must do everything we can to improve the legislation,” he said.
“The revised bill is better than the original,” he said, “but it doesn’t do enough to ensure the USPS will be able to continue to provide the service the American people have every right to expect.”
The Amendments
The revised bill does not provide sufficient protection for current service standards, Guffey said. “It offers some safeguards, but it does not maintain service standards at current levels. Furthermore, the protection would expire after three years,” he noted.
“USPS officials have demonstrated that they will attempt to slash service, close hundred of mail processing facilities, and shut thousands of post offices — unless Congress stops them,” he said.
For that reason, the APWU is urging members to contact their senators and ask them to support several critical amendments. An amendment offered by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) would maintain current delivery standards for four years. The amendment (#2042) would not prevent all consolidations, but it would stop the USPS from implementing its “slash and burn” strategy, Guffey said.
The union is also asking APWU members to seek support from their senators for an amendment (#2056) submitted by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) that would modify the process for closing or consolidating post offices and postal facilities.
The APWU is also asking union members to encourage their senators to support an amendment (#2034) offered by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) to replace provisions that would be financially devastating to thousands of postal and federal employees who were injured on the job and who receive compensation from the Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP).
“The union supports numerous other amendments,” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid. “At the national level, we will be weighing in with senators and staff on the others.” The three mentioned above are the most important to APWU members, he said.
“After the amendments have been voted on, we will evaluate the bill and decide whether we can support the final product,” he said. “Please remain vigilant. We will provide additional information as it develops.”
| They’re At It Again!
Right-wing labor haters are at it again! Among the amendments submitted are: A proposal by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to eliminate collective bargaining and another to end the USPS monopoly on first-class mail; an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to require retirement-eligible employees to retire and another to establish “alternatives to post offices;” and an amendment by Sen. John McCain to adopt the hated House bill H.R. 2309. The APWU response? NO WAY! |
Not all Republicans are racist, but all racists are Republican.
Sounds like some Republican Senators are spreading the republican platform onto the core of the USPS. Lucky this is a Democrat held Senate this year. Though I do like the admendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would require retirement-eligible employees to retire. I would imagine we all have either a Postmaster, Supervisor or that coworker in your unit that is still driving to work or taking the bus because they can not drive due to their age and clock in and slowly walk to their workstation. There is a time work and there is a time to live life outside the Post Office.
What we need our Congress to do, is get their hands out of our Post Office and just set the guidelines to run it and NOT have a Monetary Interest for their Lobbyist friends. Give back our money that they have took over the years.
We are to provide a SERVICE, IT IS IN OUR NAME.
I’m from NYC and know about the correctional facility in Upstate New York. Also, I know who “Two Berculosis” is referring to, however, I wanted him/her to be more specific (Blacks). I don’t know which Post Office he/she works in, but he/she wouldn’t dare make that same racist comment in the workplace (Post Office).
Two Burc is talking about the 99.9% whitey workforce in not diversified Elmira NY
can’t wait to get out on street.
From Burrus:
“After the smoke clears, there will be far fewer employees, far fewer union members and rampant employee reassignments as the Postal Service realigns the personnel.”
Given all the commentary I’ve seen on 21Century Postal Worker, APWU.org, NALC.org, NPMHU.org and Postalworker.com., he is apparently the only one that gets it people. Wake up and smell the coffee folks! Time to bail ! Get those ps fORMS 1188 FILLED OUT AND SAVE YOURSELF SOME DUCKETS BEFORE THE SHIP BEGINS TO LIST ! Your pickets, commercials and grievances will not help you or stop them regardless of what your union is telling you. They’re out to save their own hides. Thats why they don’t want VERAS! Less employees=less members=less money to pay union officials lifestyles=less staffing at 1300 L Street!
AT ONE TIME MCCAIN USE TO BE A DECENT GUY AND A PRETTY GOOD POLITICIAN UNTIL THE TEA PARTY TOOK OVER THE G.O.P. NOW HE IS SO SCARED THAT IF HE PISSES THEM OFF THEY WILL RUN SOME-ONE AGAINST HIM IN A PRIMARY(AND BEAT HIM) HE LIKES BEING A US SENATOR AND DRAWING THAT BIG CHECK THAT HE IS A MAJOR TEA-BAGGER FOR LIFE -NO HELP EVER AGAIN FOR WORKING MAN FROM MCCAIN-WHEN THE AMENDMENTS ARE VOTED ON MOST IF NOT ALL TEA-BAG AMENDMENTS WILL NOT FLY-BUT WHEN THE BILL IS VOTED ON AND MAYBE PASSED BY THE SENATE IT WILL NEVER PASS THE THE HOUSE BET ON IT
The Bill and the Amendments sound good. Let get it on!
Congressional employees that are eligible to retire need to retire most of them are over due and have been for quite sometime and jave been inthe same positions for too long
a monkey needs to jump on your face and smack you silly.
screaming and pulling the rest of your hair out, and that’s too good for you.
the FREEDOM of SPEECH prevails in many ways, here is mine.
THE USPS IS A GREAT EMPLOYER, THEY DO NOT DISCRIMINATE,
THANK G for the USPS, THIS AGENCY HAS NOT ONLY PRODUCED EXTRA MONEY FOR THE US TREASURY, THEY, ALONG WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE POSTAL UNIONS, managed to provide and keep postal employees in great paying jobs. It’s a privelidge to work for them! TB, you are yellow.
Ignorant//uneducated “Two berculosis”, you need to learn how to communicate correctly before you start making negative, or any comments. Also, who/what are you referring to when you stated “black monkeys”?? Please answer my question.
Hey Two berculosis! The drive-thru’s backing up! Stop commenting and get flipping those burgers! Your contempt for people having decent paying jobs and your way of writing speaks volumes!
Why are not the bills and amendants posted in their entirety. We don’t need our minders to tell us what to support. The unions are as complicit as management as to our present crisis.
“APWU members have done a great job of getting the word out to legislators about our concerns: Keep up the good work ,support S-1789”
— Cliff Guffey, President
Call Your Senators:
202-224-3121
(Capitol Switchboard)
[Click here for direct #s]
Tell them you Support
S. 1789 as it is currently written
Post office ain’t Nottiing but full of black monkeys it need to
Go down .them jobs payed to much any how they deserving about
6 dollor an hour go rand Paul
APWU response? NO VERA !