NPMHU Local 317 - Alabama
Official Site of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 317. Postal News for NPMHU 317 members. We consist of branches in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery.
"...For many retirees, Medicare Part D can be considered better than a PSHB Part D EGWP because it..."
Reference: federalretirementnews.blogspot.com
"...The announcement, made by VA Secretary Denis McDonough during remarks at the Student Veterans of America national convention in Colorado...To qualify, veterans must have ..."
Reference: Military Veteran News
"..."PSHB Part D EGWP" refers to the "Employer Group Waiver Plan" for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage that is ..."
Reference: Federal NewsGroup
"...The Senate voted 73-27 to invoke cloture on the Social Security Fairness Act, clearing the way for a final vote to pass the bill later this week. ..."
Reference: www.govexec.com
"Customers must request package tracking text messages from the United States Postal Service. The USPS does not send messages without a request first. ...one of the most popular scams is "smishing," which, in the case of holiday mail, appears as fraudulent text messages indicating package tracking. Undisclosed texts with questionable tracking information and clickable links should be avoided in order to prevent scammers from gaining personal information. Never heard of smishing? Here's what to know about the fraudulent act..."
Reference: www.usatoday.com
"...MADISON, Ala. (WAFF) - An investigation is underway in Madison after a mail carrier was robbed at gunpoint on Sunday. Madison Police officials say a mail carrier was robbed at gunpoint in the Hill Chase subdivision Sunday around 4:30 p.m. ..."
Reference: www.waff.com
Open Season for health benefits is here!
It runs Nov. 11 through Dec. 9, and it marks the first Open Season under the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program.
What You Need to Know:
Automatic Enrollment: If your current health plan is transitioning to PSHB, you’ll be automatically enrolled in the same plan for 2025. No action needed unless you wish to switch.
Make Changes: If your plan is not participating in PSHB, you must choose a new plan during this Open Season, or you’ll be automatically enrolled in a basic nationwide option.
Below are recent materials sent from OPM. Use them to help you set up your login.gov account and navigate the enrollment site. More information will be provided here as it becomes available.
Experiencing issues with login.gov? Try Form 2809! Postal Service Health Benefits program enrollment can be facilitated by completing form SF2809, Health Benefits Election Form, accessible on the OPM website and MyHR.USPS.gov. If more assistance is needed, click here.
Reference: www.nalc.org
"...TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sunday, a group of United States postal service employees gathered to protest their displeasure with USPS' latest contract offer to the National Association of Letter Carriers union. ...postal workers said they don't approve of the tentative labor agreement as it stands. They argue the terms don't reflect a significant increase in pay, better working conditions, and more favorable hours. ...“Those wages are just not good enough to attract people to do what is a very physically demanding and stressful job,” Owen said. “Brand new people at the post office, they don’t get the same benefits as regular carriers," Willits said. "They don’t get very good pay. They get terrible hours." The agreement would let some workers clock out after working 11.5 hours a day or 60 hours in a week"
Reference: www.kgun9.com
"...OPM said that they were restricted in how they provide prescription drug benefits to Medicare-eligible enrollees in the new Postal Service Health Benefits Program, but at least one employee association disagrees. ...The first Open Season in which postal workers can elect their coverage for next year runs from Nov. 11 to Dec. 9.
In a last-minute tweak to regulations governing the program and its implementation this fall, the Office of Personnel Management published a final rule in the Federal Register last week clarifying provisions governing reconsideration of eligibility decisions, the law’s Medicare Part B enrollment requirement and integrating the Medicare Part D prescription drug program into PSHBP.
That last provision is the source of this week’s controversy. OPM’s rule states that, unlike in FEHBP, Congress intentionally funneled Medicare-eligible postal workers and retirees into insurance coverage that includes a Medicare Part D employer group waiver plan, or EGWP
.
“While the PSHB is included under the FEHB Program umbrella, PSHB is subject to distinct statutory requirements, including those governing the requirement to offer a PDP EGWP and to integrate Medicare Part D benefits,” OPM wrote. “When enacting the PSRA, Congress was addressing specific policy goals, including increasing enrollment in Medicare by USPS annuitants and promoting long-term financial health for the PSHB program, which require certain variances from policies that are generally applicable in the FEHB program.”"
"...An audit by the U.S. Postal Service has revealed significant mail delays and operational issues in the Alabama-Mississippi district, particularly in Center Point, Northport, and Tuscaloosa. The audit, completed in October, noted that none of the three branches used proper forms to record delayed mail. ..."
Reference: www.wvtm13.com
"...Chief Ennis told WAFF that the mail carrier was flown to Huntsville Hospital, where she is in “serious condition.”
Officials said the truck driver is okay. Officials are currently working with Wayne Farms to gather all the chickens that fell out. ..."
About this item:
Fold Up Mailer Holder-Stand upright to 90 degrees for rolling tubes and irregular packages.Use AC adapter, the scale will be always power on, Self-Calibration Technology: Does not require a 50lbs weight.
Capacity-up to 50lbs; Sensitivity-0.1oz（0-25lb);0.2oz(25-50lb); Reading Modes-Pounds/ounces, ounces, kilograms/grams, grams
Key Functions-Tare(Allow you to reset the display to 0.0); Hold (Especially for Weighing a over-sized item)
Self-Calibration Technology-Does not require a 50lbs weight. You can choose any known weight starting from 5 lbs for calibration purpose.
Use AC adapter, the scale will be always power on
The National Postal Mail Handlers Union is pleased to offer the opportunity for career craft members of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and members of their immediate families, to apply for scholarship assistance from the NPMHU Arthur S. Vallone National Scholarship Program. Specific eligibility requirements for the program are detailed below.
This scholarship program has been providing assistance to deserving recipients since 2001. In February 2005, the program was renamed in honor of Arthur S. Vallone. Arthur had served the NPMHU with distinction for over twenty-five years at his untimely passing in January 2005. Arthur was a true believer in the Union Movement, and a tireless advocate for Mail Handlers and all working people. His list of accomplishments and contributions to the NPMHU is lengthy. The National Postal Mail Handlers Union is proud to honor the legacy that Brother Vallone has left behind.
The purpose of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Arthur S. Vallone Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance to career Mail Handlers and/or their family members who are seeking to further their education beyond high school. The program will award a minimum of 15 scholarships (3 per Region) in the annual amount of at least $1,000, renewable for up to four (4) years or until the completion of the undergraduate degree, whichever occurs first (for a maximum of $4,000 per recipient over 4 years). Additional scholarships may be awarded, depending upon the number of applicants and the number of renewals each year.
Scholarship eligibility details and application instructions are now available. Applicants must submit complete applications and the related materials listed at the link below to the Scholarship Committee on or before March 15, 2025.
VIEW AND DOWNLOAD SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY DETAILS AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS (PDF)
Download MS Word version
Mail Handler Wage Chart -- Effective November 16, 2024 (Pay Period 25-2024) PDF
"...After months of negotiations, Huntsville Hospital Health System and UnitedHealthcare have reached an agreement that maintains the in-network status for United subscribers who are patients in HH Health System hospitals.
“This new agreement enables patients to continue to have access to the HH Health care teams that they know and trust,” said Jeff Samz, CEO of the Huntsville Hospital Health System. “Our patients will always be our first priority.”
The new agreement applies to Huntsville Hospital, Madison Hospital, Athens-Limestone Hospital, Decatur Morgan Hospital, DeKalb Medical Center in Fort Payne, Helen Keller Hospital in Florence, Highlands Medical Center in Scottsboro, Lincoln Health in Fayetteville, Tenn.; Marshall Medical Centers (North and South), and Red Bay Hospital. ..."
"...We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE. We don’t need more part-time idea generators. We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting. If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants. ..."
Reference: x.com/DOGE
"Criminals are infiltrating the United States Postal Service. ...a newly published report from the USPS’s Office of the Inspector General. You have criminal organizations, gangs, that are actually recruiting people to get a job in the postal service so they can rob mail and drain bank accounts. That’s literally what’s happening ...Investigators say employees are bringing bags, backpacks, and big coats onto workroom floors inside mail processing facilities. Once inside, it’s a simple matter to make letters and packages disappear." ... “The simplest way to solve a problem is to deny it exists,” Albergo said. “So that’s part of it, they just don’t want to admit that the mail is unsafe right now.”
Reference: www.nbcsandiego.com
"...55,000 Canada Post employees began a strike Friday, disrupting mail services across the country just ahead of the holiday season. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced the action following a year of stalled negotiations over wages, safety, and its members being replaced by technology. The three-day work stoppage, which..."
Reference: www.newsweek.com
"...Stocks were poised for a booming rally Wednesday as Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,346 points, or about 2.8%. S&P 500 futures gained 1.9%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 1.3%. The last time the blue-chip Dow jumped more than 1,000 points in a single day was in November 2022..."
Reference: www.cnbc.com
"Former President Trump has won the presidency, securing a second term...made the call after declaring Trump the projected winner of Pennsylvania and Alaska, bringing him to exactly 270 electoral votes. ..."
Reference: thehill.com
"...When you apply for retirement or disability benefits from Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board), it also serves as your application for Medicare. Once you get approved for Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, you’ll automatically get Part A coverage (without having to pay a premium for it) once you’re eligible for Medicare.
If you’re getting benefits from Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board) at least 4 months before you turn 65, you’ll automatically get Part A coverage. You’ll also be signed up for Part B (unless you live in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.). Because you pay a monthly premium for Part B coverage, you can choose whether to keep it or not. ..."
"USPS employees can make changes through LiteBlue ...Keep personal contact information current using a physical address — not a PO Box — and mobile telephone number. Go to the LiteBlue homepage and update your address if necessary.
Emergency contacts can be updated by logging on to LiteBlue, clicking on the “Apps” banner, then selecting “My Contact Information.” Follow the prompts to complete the submission. ..."
"...the current administrator (FSAFEDs) and the Postal Service are notifying current FSA enrollees that their funds must be used by December 31st, 2024, or they will be forfeited. This is completely unacceptable. Employees who put money in their FSA expecting to roll over any remaining money should not lose out in this switch in administrators. ..."
Reference: apwu.org
"The tax year 2025 adjustments described below generally apply to income tax returns to be filed starting tax season 2026. The tax items for tax year 2025 of greatest interest to many taxpayers include the following dollar amounts:
"...The union said that the new deal was helped with the help of Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and told the striking workers it "is worthy of your consideration." ...The corporation is also offering employees 12% in 401(k) contributions, plus a one-time contribution of $5,000 to workers' retirement accounts. ..."
Reference: www.foxbusiness.com
"...As part of the agreement, all city carriers will get three annual pay increases of 1.3% each by 2025, some of which will be paid retroactively from November 2023. ..."
Reference: www.newsmax.com
"...If you are over 65 years of age, or permanent and totally disabled (regardless of age), or blind (regardless of age), you are exempt from the state portion of property tax. County taxes may still be due. ..."
Reference: www.revenue.alabama.gov
When you turn 65, your federal basic life insurance (FEGLI) will automatically begin to decrease by 2% per month until it reaches 25% of its original value, at which point it becomes free and remains at that level for the rest of your life; this is considered the "75% reduction" option, which is the standard unless you choose to reduce it by 50% or keep the full amount with continued premium payments.
Reference: www.opm.gov
Postal Items Found on Amazon Today "...Postal related items found on Amazon. Books, toys, signs, clothing, stamp collecting, ......
