Your next contractual wage increase will be effective November 24, 2018

  Your next wage increase will be effective November 24, 2018
Effective November 24, 2018 - the basic annual salary for each grade and step of Table One and Table Two shall be increased by an amount equal to 1.3% for the basic annual salary for the grade and step in effect on May 20, 2016.

Reference: NPMHU 317

FERS retirement Information as found on opm.gov

  FERS retirement Information as found on opm.gov

"...Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1986, and it became effective on January 1, 1987. Since that time, new Federal civilian employees who have retirement coverage are covered by FERS. FERS is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Two of the three parts of FERS (Social Security and the TSP) can go with you to your next job if you leave the Federal Government before retirement. The Basic Benefit and Social Security parts of FERS require you to pay your share each pay period. Your agency withholds the cost of the Basic Benefit and Social Security from your pay as payroll deductions. Your agency pays its part too. Then, after you retire, you receive annuity payments each month for the rest of your life. The TSP part of FERS is an account that your agency automatically sets up for you. Each pay period your agency deposits into your account amount equal to 1% of the basic pay you earn for the pay period. You can also make your own contributions to your TSP account and your agency will also make a matching contribution. These contributions are tax-deferred. The Thrift Savings Plan is administered by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board..."

Reference: www.opm.gov

This information, as found on OPM.GOV, is accurate as of this posting date: 10/28/2018

 

Going Postal: Analyzing the Abuse of Mail Covers Under the Fourth Amendment

  Going Postal: Analyzing the Abuse of Mail Covers Under the Fourth Amendment

"...Since at least the late 1800s, the United States government has regularly tracked the mail of many of its citizens. In 2014 alone, for example, the government recorded all data on the outside of the mail parcels of over 50,000 individuals via a surveillance initiative known as the mail covers program. In the current age of mass surveillance, this program—like all surveillance initiatives—has grown exponentially. Unbeknownst to most citizens, the government now photographs and records the exterior of each of the roughly 160 billion mail parcels delivered by the USPS every year. Still, despite its ability to allow governmental authorities to uncover a startlingly accurate picture of citizens’ daily lives, the long-abused mail covers program continues to be implemented without any judicial oversight. This Note provides the first comprehensive legal analysis of the mail covers program in the modern era. In doing so, it also analyzes current Fourth Amendment jurisprudence and advocates for the adoption of the mosaic theory to privacy protection better capable of safeguarding citizens in an age of unprecedented government surveillance capability..."

Reference: amazonaws.com  

Man arrested in Plantation Florida in plot to send mail bombs through postal service

  Man arrested in Plantation in plot to send bombs

"...Mail bomb went through the processing and distribution center in Opa-locka, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, law enforcement officials said Thursday. The Miami-Dade Police went to the mail-sorting facility, located on the southwest side of the Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport...the source of the bombs suspect that some of the parcels were mailed from Florida. The official said investigators have been examining a database of images of mail maintained by the U.S. Postal Service..."

Reference: www.sun-sentinel.com  

PP 21-2018 Payroll Issue Impacts Mostly APWU Employess and Some Others

 

ALERT: The following notice was posted and found on ePayroll at USPS Liteblue on 10/16/2018:

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"An issue has been identified with the processing of the PP 21-2018 Payroll that prevented some employees from not being paid correctly. The largest percentage impacted were APWU employees but other bargaining and non-bargaining employees were also impacted. Impacted employees may not have been paid fully for overtime, penalty overtime & night work, and may have had their leave hours paid reduced. Employees should review their earnings statement to ensure they were paid correctly for PP 21-2018. A recovery is being planned to correct impacted employees' pay."

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The APWU site has posted a the following article relating to the issue:

Significant Payroll Issue Identified

"... the APWU became aware that the Postal Service identified a computer glitch with the payroll system that will affect nearly 90,000 APWU represented bargaining unit employees. The APWU immediately contacted the USPS about the issue and will continue to monitor the situation..."

Reference: www.apwu.org