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.
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
Snippet of Article: "...Self Lock is the unique feature that lets you protect your identity in E-Verify and Self Check by placing a "lock" in E-Verify on your Social Security number (SSN). This helps prevent anyone else from using your SSN for an E-Verify case. If an employer enters your locked SSN in E-Verify to confirm employment authorization, it will result in an E-Verify Tentative Nonconfirmation (mismatch). With Self Lock, you are always in control...How to Use Self Lock
To access Self Lock, you must be logged in to your myE-Verify account.
To lock your SSN, you must select and answer three challenge questions. Select questions you can easily answer, because you will need to answer them again to verify your identity if you receive an E-Verify Tentative Nonconfirmation (mismatch) due to Self Lock.
If you are about to start a new job with an E-Verify employer, you should log into your account and unlock your SSN."
"...WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) today shared new enrollee resources ahead of the inaugural launch of the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program this Open Season. Resources include a new landing page with details for PSHB enrollees; information about auto-enrollment where Postal employees will be automatically transitioned from their current plan to a comparable plan in the new PSHB program; and a page providing information on cost savings for enrollees who are also signed up for Medicare Part B or Medicare Advantage through PSHB. The Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program..."
Reference: www.opm.gov
Video: Watch NPMHU National President speak at the NALC convention.
Reference: NPMHU
"...$1.5 million in checks went missing from letters at a Missouri mail distribution center, fingerprints tracked back to a 29-year-old postal worker, federal officials said. Anthony Virdure II, a mail handler for the United States Postal Service in St. Louis, was indicted on three counts of mail theft and one count of wire fraud..."
Reference: www.kansascity.com
"...Generally, you're first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. · If you ..."
Reference: www.medicare.gov
"The carriers halted some deliveries in Florida as the storm slammed the southern U.S. ...For the Postal Service, all delivery and retail operations are suspended until further notice for facilities in the 335, 336, 337, 339, 341, 342 and 346 3-digit zip code areas, the agency said in a notice Wednesday.
The Postal Service suspended operations at four processing and distribution centers in Tampa, Fort Myers and Sarasota. Alternate sites in Orlando could receive drop shipments in their place. Normal operations at the impacted sites were slated to resume at 4 a.m. on Friday. ..."
"...In 2021, the APWU Maintenance Division filed a National Dispute (USPS # 6X 18T-6X-C 21354335) regarding the Postal Service's violation of Article 7 section 3 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), specifically concerning the 2.5 percent cap on the total number of Part-Time Regular employees in the Maintenance Division. According to the CBA, the total number of part-time employees who “may be hired” should not exceed 2.5 percent of the total number of Maintenance Craft employees covered by the agreement...."
Reference: apwu.org
"...Postal enrollees will pay 11.1% more toward their health care premiums. Averaged with the government’s share of the cost, which is increasing by 5.1%, the overall premium increase for PSHB is 6.9%.
“The premium increase for the Postal program is lower than the FEHB premium increase due to greater integration in Medicare required under the Postal Service Reform Act, differences in the cost profiles of the plans offered in each program and demographic factors,” OPM said.
PSHB enrollees, on average, will pay $20 more toward their biweekly health care premiums next year. ..."
"...After scratching off the $20 Millionaire's Club ticket the man immediately said, "Thank you, Lord." He matched the winning number 54 for the corresponding $1 million top prize in the second row of the game’s play area. The postal worker can now think of retirement after working for the company for 30 years. When asked what he would do with the money, he said he's going to pay some bills. ..."
Reference: www.wmar2news.com
"...Your order of COVID tests is completely free – you won’t even pay for shipping. We will start shipping tests the week of September 30. Want to know when your tests are coming? Sign up to receive email alerts when you order! ..."
Reference: covidtests.gov
USPS employees and annuitants may participate in an upcoming virtual seminar on the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program.
The session will be held Thursday, Oct. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern and from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern.
PSHB — which takes effect in 2025 — is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and will be administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
USPS employees, annuitants, and eligible family members are required to enroll in this new program.
The MyHR website’s PSHB page has more information, including the Zoom links and passcodes to participate. To find the page, enter “Postal Service Health Benefits” in the MyHR search bar.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees can also receive updates by texting “PSHBP” to 39369.
"...We are writing to inform you of a recent national arbitration decision issued by Arbitrator Dennis Nolan in a grievance brought by the National Association of Letter Carriers, which concerned the Postal employees who did not receive their paychecks as a result of the breach of the Postal Service’s PostalEase system. The NPMHU also filed a grievance on this issue, and the NPMHU (along with the APWU) intervened in the NALC grievance. By way of background, on December 20, 2022, the Union received notification from the Postal Service that some Postal Service employees had unknowingly provided their usernames and passwords to criminal websites while attempting to access PostalEase. We were told that employees had been using Google to access PostalEase and that Google in turn was redirecting them to third party criminally run websites that mirrored the look and access of PostalEase. ..."
Reference: www.npmhu.org
The Postal Service will hold two virtual job fairs for sales positions this month.
The events are part of the organization’s efforts to expand its sales force and align sales strategies with new operational capabilities to drive revenue, one of the goals of the Delivering for America plan.
Topics to be covered during the fairs include:
• The roles and responsibilities of territory representatives and senior territory representatives;
• The number and locations of vacancies spanning 20 Postal Service districts;
• How to navigate the USPS Careers online page and create an eCareer profile; and
• How to effectively respond to knowledge, skills and abilities questions to demonstrate your qualifications.
The fairs are open to both career and noncareer employees and will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Sept. 29, and Monday, Sept. 30.
To participate in a fair, employees must complete an online registration form on LiteBlue or Blue by clicking on the “Looking for a career in Sales?” banner. A list of districts with sales vacancies will be listed on the registration page.
All participants must be current Postal Service employees and attend while off the clock. Participation is voluntary.
Postal Items Found on Amazon Today "...Postal related items found on Amazon. Books, toys, signs, clothing, stamp collecting, ......
