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Subject: Senate Committee Passes Improved Postal Reform Bill Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 17:07:09 -0400 (EDT)
Dear Mail Handler E-Activist:
We are writing to let you know that on June 2, 2004, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs unanimously approved S. 2468, a postal reform bill that rejects nearly all of the anti-worker proposals that were submitted by the Postal Service and by the President's Commission on the Postal Service. The vote to send the bill to the full Senate was 17-0.
Prior to passing the bill out of Committee, by a slim 9-8 vote the Committee approved Senator Joe Lieberman's (D-CT) amendment, supported by the NPMHU and the APWU, to limit worksharing discounts offered to mailers. If such discounts go unchecked, they can cost Mail Handlers and other postal workers their jobs. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) joined with all eight Democrats to vote for the change.
Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tom Carper (D-DE) cobbled together legislation that provides more pricing flexibility for the Postal Service, and resolves in favor of the Postal Service a multi-billion dollar problem with Civil Service Retirement payments, health care for retirees, and retirement benefits of military veterans. The bill rejects dramatic changes in collective bargaining, reduced annuity and health benefits, a two-tiered retirement system, a Postal czar with power to reduce wages and benefits, and other ideas opposed by the NPMHU. Although the White House has not indicated whether it will support or veto the legislation, this is the first time since 1970 that postal reform legislation is ready for full Senate and House action.
The Senate bill contains a change in OWCP that is opposed by the NPMHU. It would require injured workers to use paid or unpaid leave for the first three days of an injury, if that injury is less than 14 days in duration. It also gives employees at age 65, and who have become totally disabled after September 30, 2004, a choice of either OWCP compensation totaling 50% of their monthly pay or their normal postal retirement. The NPMHU will continue to lobby to have this provision removed. The House bill already has rejected a similar proposal, and makes no change to OWCP.
What happens next? The bills must go to the floor of their respective chambers for a vote by all Representatives and Senators. Tentatively, the House may vote on its bill, the current version of which the NPMHU generally supports, before the end of June.
"There is a chance that amendments, some of which may be hostile to Mail Handlers and other postal workers, will be offered during consideration and debate in the full House and Senate," noted National President John F. Hegarty. "It is important that all Mail Handlers be aware that their letter to Congress, followed up by a phone call or e-mail, may be needed to protect our future rights, wages, and benefits." Hegarty also expressed his special gratitude to Senators Joe Lieberman and Arlen Specter, and to all the others who looked out for workers' interests during the development and mark-up phase of the Senate proposal.
"I also want to give special recognition to Senators Susan Collins and Tom Carper. They have always listened to our viewpoint and, in many cases, rejected notions of others who think that postal workers deserve less pay and reduced benefits. They also have helped preserve the flexibility in collective bargaining that has made it a process that all of us can respect."
In the meantime, Mail Handlers who live in the states of the Senators who voted for the Lieberman amendment need to contact their Senators with the following message: As a member of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, I want to thank you for supporting Senator Lieberman's amendment on worksharing in postal reform. It is important to protect our jobs and keeps the Postal Service financially sound."
The Senators who need to be acknowledged for their support of these NPMHU issues include: Republican Senator Arlen Specter (PA), and Democratic Senators Joe Lieberman (CT), Carl Levin (MI), Daniel Akaka (HI), Richard Durbin (IL), Tom Carper (DE), Mark Dayton (MN), Frank Lautenberg (NJ) and Mark Pryor (AR). In order to send a thank-you message, please follow this link to the NPMHU Legislative Center: http://capwiz.com/npmhu/utr/1/DBUVDLQAZU/FHDGDLQLTS/ . Then simply enter your zip code in the "ELECTED OFFICIALS" section and you will see the contact information for your two Senators and your House Representative.
Thank you for your support of the NPMHU position on these very important postal reform issues.
--John F. Hegarty, National President --Mark A. Gardner, Secretary-Treasurer
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