President Obama has a 2016 plan for the Postal Service

  The USPS Deficit Crisis: What’s the Plan?

"...President Obama has a plan for the 2016 fiscal budget and the USPS that would potentially save $36 billion over the course of 11 years. The plan is similar to a bill introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) and former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), previously killed in Congress. For starters, Saturday delivery would be cut. This would be implemented when volumes drop to the predicted amount in late 2018. It would also replace door-to-door service with a centralized or curbside delivery service. This would perhaps ultimately be safer for mailmen and mailwomen. The plan offers the idea of “increasing revenue by providing postal management with more flexibility in creating new business opportunities, as well as boosting cooperation with state and local governments to offer services at post offices.”..."

Reference: lawstreetmedia.com

2016 Postal plans

 

Huntsville Union Meeting Held on Saturday, June 27, 2015

  Huntsville Union Meeting Held on Saturday, June 27, 2015

A Union Meeting was held with the Huntsville Local Branch of NPMHU 317. The State Presidentwas in attendance. Information relating to the 'cancellation' of AMP 2 was discussed among other subjects.

Reference: npmhu317.blogspot.com  

Do unions do anything for today's worker?

  Do unions do anything for today's worker?
Do unions do anything for today's worker? The biggest complaint heard amongst union members and non-members who leach off of benefits garnered by the unions, is that the union doesn't do anything for me. I'm just wasting money paying for the benefit and I get nothing in return. It is understandable that many people feel this way in the anti-union labor climate we live in today. It seems that with watered-down enforcement from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a President that won elections twice, largely based on talk of strong support of unions, has failed to provide that support, and union reps that have been beat down by members, non-members and managers. Sometimes it just seems there is no justice in the workplace anymore. If you are a postal worker, you truly feel this impact more than many with the closure of mail processing plants and post offices across the nation and a much smaller workforce. Workers are frustrated with unions that contractually protected them against being forced to relocate more than 50 miles, only to have their National Union Offices agree with the postal service to force relocations of 100 miles or more. Disrupting family, as well as communities.

So what do unions do for us? The Bureau of Labor Statistics can give you some insight into what unions do. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014 Data) states, Median weekly earnings of nonunion workers ($763) were 79 percent of earnings for workers who were union members ($970). Even though wages have stagnated amongst unionized workers, as well as non-unionized workers, and the lowly wages of America's real workers is a pittance of that of the fat-cats. The difference in the median weekly earnings of unionized and non-union workers is substantial over the course of a career. In a nutshell, wages are probably the number one concern with workers, running nearly a tie for first place are benefits, pensions and job security, which a unionized workforce tends to have. This in itself should be proof enough of what union membership provides. Specifically, if your union evaporated, you would quickly see your wages decline and pensions dissipate.

Who are the people the union is representing and protecting the most (based on data)? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014 Data), it is men (11.7 percent), Among major race and ethnicity groups, black workers had a higher union membership rate in 2014 (13.2 percent) than workers who were white (10.8 percent), Asian (10.4 percent), or Hispanic (9.2 percent). By age, the union membership rate was highest among workers ages 45 to 64--13.8 percent for those ages 45 to 54 and 14.1 percent for those ages 55 to 64. The union membership rate was 12.3 percent for full-time workers, more than twice the rate for part-time workers, 5.8 percent. In 2014, 7.2 million employees in the public sector belonged to a union, compared with 7.4 million workers in the private sector. The union membership rate for public-sector workers (35.7 percent) was substantially higher than the rate for private-sector workers (6.6 percent). Within the public sector, the union membership rate was highest for local government (41.9 percent), which includes employees in heavily unionized occupations, such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters. In the private sector, industries with high unionization rates included utilities (22.3 percent), transportation and warehousing (19.6 percent), telecommunications (14.8 percent), and construction (13.9 percent). Low unionization rates occurred in agriculture and related industries (1.1 percent), finance (1.3 percent), professional and technical services (1.4 percent), and food services and drinking places (1.4 percent).

In synopsis, you can see there is a defined benefit to the worker in a unionized workforce. However, if you have kept an eye on data over the years, as union membership declines, so do wages and benefits. There is power in numbers and corporate America is winning the fight against worker protections, wages and benefits by working hard to kill unions. Will you let them win and continue to rob you in contract negotiations, thru the media and thru buying politicians? Only time will tell. If you do not feel you are getting your benefit from your union, then speak up, vote them out, file labor charges, and more importantly, you should step up and volunteer your time to change things. And more importantly, register to vote and vote out those who are trying to kill unions, protect tax breaks of the wealthy, and steal your Social Security and pensions.

Reference: npmhu317.blogspot.com

House Appropriations Committee Votes to Restore USPS Service Standards

  House Appropriations Committee Votes to Restore USPS Service Standards

While the House Appropriations Committee was approving the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill on June 17, 2015, an amendment to the bill was offered by Congressman Chakah Fattah, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, to restore USPS service standards back to July 1, 2012. That amendment was passed by a bi-partisan vote of 26 to 23, with six Republicans joining all voting Democrats on the Committee to support the amendment. The Members that voted yes for this amendment have heard and listened to their constituents and the business community, and clearly understand that we all need a Postal Service that is both vibrant and on time.

This battle is far from over, as this step is only the first of many needed to enact responsible postal reform. We will be monitoring the bill as it leaves the Committee and heads to the full House of Representatives. And if successful, it would then need to be taken up by the Senate. So our collective work is far from over.

“This initial victory was a team effort,” said NPMHU National President Paul Hogrogian, adding “I’d like to thank the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Association of Letter Carriers for closely working together to educate our elected officials as to why restoring the service standards is so important.”

House Appropriations Amendment Vote Tally

Aye
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)
Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV)
Rep. David Jolly (R-FL)
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Rep. Michael Quigley (D-IL)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY)
Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-IN)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL)
Rep. David Young (R-IA)

No
Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
Rep. Thomas Cole (R-OK)
Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)
Rep. John Culberson (R-TX)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Rep. Charles Fleischmann (R-TN)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX)
Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA)
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD)
Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA)
Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA)
Rep. Matha Roby (R-AL)
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
Rep. Thomas Rooney (R-FL)
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID)
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT)
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)
Rep. Stephen Womack (R-AR)
Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS)

Not Voting
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV)
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA)


Reference: www.npmhu.org

Lying to Postal Inspectors: CFO in Birmingham nonprofit swindle allegedly uses mail for...

  With bizarre new allegations, CFO in Birmingham nonprofit swindle faces losing more freedom

"...Mollica was rearrested last week and charged with lying to postal inspectors about packages sent to witnesses and government personnel involved in her case. Items in the packages included drugs stuffed in a dog statue, "thank you" notes, gift cards, and digital scales like drug dealers use. ..."

Reference: www.al.com  

Town Creek post office remains closed after storm damage

  Town Creek post office remains closed after storm damage

"...The only work that has been done so far is to dry the building out and clean up some of the debris including wood, brick, sheetrock and ceiling tiles. Despite the storm damage, Town Creek Post Office Box customers can pick up their mail at the Courtland Post Office, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m..."

Reference: www.wtvm.com  

The primary craft for all duties associated with the operation of the SPSS is the Mail Handler Craft

  USPS Issues Primary Craft Determination: Mail Handlers to Perform Duties Associated with SPSS Operation

"...On June 2, 2015, the Union recieved the Postal Service's determination of craft jurisdiction for employees operating the Small Parcel Sorter System (SPSS), which is currently deployed in five pilot test locations, and will be deployed shortly in twenty-six other facilities around the country. As set forth in the captioned letter, the Postal Service has determined that "the primary craft for all duties associated with the operation of the SPSS is the Mail Handler Craft." Follow this link to read the NPMHU notification to Local Presidents and USPS jurisdictional craft determination letter. (pdf) ..."

Reference: www.npmhu.org