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.
Please see the latest information that we just received regarding the PostalEase website fraud. FRAUD ALERT ** Postal Service Releases Mandatory Stand-Up Talk Regarding Fake LiteBlue Websites (pdf) Securing Your Personal Data Employee Mailer (pdf) - Letter to be sent to all postal employees making them aware of the potential risk. Keeping Your Private Information Secure Employee Handout (pdf) - Handout to be included in letter to all employees to provide examples of fake sites and steps on how to update personal contact information. PostalEASE Website Fraud: Impacted Employee Notification (pdf)- Letter to be sent to only impacted employees notifying them of their situation and share information and next steps. Please note, Headquarters is also preparing a Stand-Up Talk to support these communications. Additonal information will be shared when made avaialble to the NPMHU.
Reference: NPMHU via NPMHU Local 317 - Alabama
December 20, 2022- The USPS has confirmed that some Postal Service employees are unknowingly providing their usernames and passwords to criminal websites, while attempting to access PostalEase.
It is reported that employees are using Google and attempting to access PostalEase; however, Google in-turn has been redirecting users to criminally run websites that mirror the look and access of PostalEase.
The USPS Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) is working with the Postal Inspection Service to facilitate notice to the impacted employees. The NPMHU is told that formal notification to all employees is forthcoming. We will post that notice when it is released.
The USPS reports that representations have been made at the district level confirming Postal Inspectors are contacting impacted employees, as well as employees who may have unknowingly been compromised, and requesting their EINs and passwords.
Please note . . . Postal Inspectors have not contacted postal employees and requested their EINs and/or passwords. Employees should never provide usernames and/or passwords to anyone.
Financially impacted employees should immediately contact the Eagan ASC Helpdesk at 866-974-2733. Staff members are available to assist.
If you become aware of any employee experiencing access issues to PostalEase, they should immediately contact 877-477-3273 to request assistance.
We will provide you with any additional information when it is made available to the NPMHU.
"The Postal Service and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract, covering more than 55,000 employees represented by the union.
“This agreement is balanced and fair. It addresses both parties’ bargaining objectives in a financially responsible manner and furthers the objectives of the Delivering for America plan,” said Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Tulino.
The tentative agreement is subject to a ratification vote by the union membership, a process that will take several weeks.
Upon ratification, the agreement will expire at midnight on Sept. 20, 2025."
"The 2022 National Agreement will cover a period of three years, and will expire at midnight on September 20, 2025.
General Wage Increases
All career Mail Handlers will receive three general wage increases during the term:
-- the first, retroactively effective to November 19, 2022, will be 1.3%;
-- the second, effective on November 18, 2023, will be 1.3%; and
-- the third, effective on November 16, 2024, will be 1.3%.
In addition, for career employees hired since February 2013, an additional 1% will be provided to Steps BB, AA, and A retroactively effective to November 19, 2022. ... The MOU on Purging Letters of Warning has been obtained again for all Mail Handlers, and it will
again apply to MHAs. ...Article 11.1 was amended to add the Juneteenth National Independence Day holiday"
Article 11.1 was amended to add the Juneteenth National Independence Day holiday.
Under Article 8, NPMHU was able to secure a guarantee that, in postal installations which 200 or more
man year of employment, career employees shall have consecutive scheduled days off. Additionally, the
negotiated agreement includes a guaranteed nonscheduled day each service week for MHAs and PTFs.
SUMMARY OF TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING TERMS OF 2022 NATIONAL AGREEMENT (pdf)
CONTRACT RATIFICATION PROCEDURES (Adopted November 2022) (pdf)
Labor deal: USPS, union reach tentative agreement
"...The Postal Service is a reliable source of gifts for family and friends of all ages this holiday season. There are a variety of USPS-branded toys, apparel, home decor and collectibles. For those tackling gift lists, there is an array of popular licensed products — most under $100 — ..."
Reference: USPS News Link
You are reading the eleventh Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
2022 No. 11 – December 13, 2022 (pdf)
National President Paul Hogrogian and National Secretary-Treasurer Michael Hora today announced that they will hold a national teleconference with representatives of the Contract Administration Department and all NPMHU Local Union Presidents to discuss developments in ongoing contract negotiations between the NPMHU and the U.S. Postal Service over the terms of their 2019 National Agreement.
The nationwide telephone call with Local Presidents from all thirty-six Local Unions will be held at 2:00 p.m. (eastern standard time) on Thursday, December 15, 2022. Details about the teleconference will be sent separately to all Local Presidents.
Should a settlement be reached in the coming days or weeks, it will be subject to a ratification vote by all members, conducted in accordance with procedures adopted by the National Executive Board.
"...hopeful the Biden administration could require the sick days through executive order. “That would go a really long way for our members, for rail workers all over the country because we don’t have sick time right now,” Katich said. On Friday, more than 70 members of Congress signed a letter urging Biden to take executive action and require paid sick days for rail workers. ..."
Reference: www.duluthnewstribune.com
"...the Postal Service has leased vehicles in many locations nationwide this holiday season," said Debra Jean Fetterly, a USPS spokesperson for the Alabama-Mississippi District. In the Birmingham area, USPS fleets are being supplemented with leased vehicles. Those vehicles are in the process of getting signage and USPS identification placed on them. Employees who drive the leased vehicles will have a postal badge..."
Reference: abc3340.com
"BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Five defendants are indicted in three separate cases involving illegally possessed USPS keys and stolen mail... The incident occurred in Madison County on September 6, 2022. ...."
Reference: www.waff.com
Please find linked, copies of two separate appeals recently filed by the NPMHU to challenge the Postal Service’s November 14, 2022 determination of craft jurisdiction for employees operating the Small Delivery Unit Sorter (ADUS) and Single Induction Parcel Sorter (SIPS). These machines have been deployed in facilities throughout the country and are continuing to be installed. [PDF]
As set forth in its November 14, 2022 letter, the Postal Service determined that jurisdictional assignments on the SDUS working at the machine, including singulating/separating and facing/feeding packages and sweeping the mail should be given to the Clerk Craft. In that same letter, the Postal Service claims that the SDUS will only be used in Function 4 operations. The NPMHU is disputing this determination, and also questioning the lack of assignment in Function 1 operations.
In that same letter of November 14, 2022, the Postal Service also determined that jurisdictional assignments on the SIPS should be divided somewhat differently between the Mail Handler Craft and the Clerk Craft. The Postal Service has stated that the SIPS will only be used in Function 1 operations. Mail Handlers have been assigned in Function 1 operations to the retrieval and staging of packages and equipment, and to the sweeping of packages (removal of full containers and replacement with empty containers), including “sort plan switch out,” and to the transportation of full containers to dispatch.
These jurisdictional determinations present several questions and concerns for which the NPMHU seeks clarification, and discussions will be continuing for at least 60 days before the National Dispute Resolution Committee and, if necessary, in National arbitration. Should you have any questions about these appeals or implementation of the SDUS and SIPS in any particular facility, please contact the National CAD.
"...Rail workers unions blasted President Biden on Monday after he pressed Congress to force the organized labor groups to accept a tentative agreement...“He had the opportunity to prove his labor-friendly pedigree to millions of workers by simply asking Congress for legislation to end the threat of a national strike on terms more favorable to workers. Sadly, he could not bring himself to advocate for a lousy handful of sick days. The Democrats and Republicans are both pawns of big business and the corporations,” Sawyer added. ..."
Reference: nypost.com
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is suspending applications for coverage under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) effective December 19, 2022. The premiums quoted within, and your ability to apply at this time, are only valid until December 18, 2022, 11:59 p.m. (ET). Premiums are based on your age and the premium rates in effect at the time we receive your application.
OPM is suspending applications for coverage under the FLTCIP to allow OPM and the FLTCIP carrier, John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, the time to thoroughly assess benefit offerings and establish sustainable premium rates that reasonably and equitably reflect the cost of the benefits provided, as required under 5 U.S.C. 9003(b)(2). For additional information about FLTCIP premiums, you may visit LTCFEDS.com/about-premiums.
OPM has determined that a suspension of applications for FLTCIP coverage, including coverage increases, is in the best interest of the program. OPM published a Federal Register Notice of Suspension for current and newly eligible individuals applying for coverage under the FLTCIP after the final regulation was published.
As of December 19, 2022, individuals not currently enrolled may not apply for coverage, and current enrollees may not apply to increase their coverage. The suspension will remain in effect for 24 months, unless OPM issues a subsequent notice to end or extend the suspension period. Newly eligible employees and newly eligible spouses of employees may apply with abbreviated underwriting and other eligible individuals can apply with full underwriting until 11:59 p.m. (ET) on December 18, 2022.
Eligible individuals who submit an application for FLTCIP prior to the start of the suspension period will have their application considered. If the application is approved for coverage, then the individual will receive a benefit booklet and schedule of benefits with complete coverage information.
Current enrollees' coverage status will not change as long as they continue to pay premium. For those in a claim status, there is no change to coverage or the claims reimbursement process as long as benefits have not been exhausted.
Do you understand the four types of health plans available to Postal Service employees?
They are:
Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, which provide care from in-network physicians and hospitals located in particular geographic or service areas;
Preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, which offer fee-for-service plans that allow you to choose physicians, hospitals and other health care providers both inside and outside of a network;
High-deductible health plans, or HDHPs, which offer plans with low premiums and high deductibles that must be met before insurance begins to cover costs; and
Consumer-driven health plans, or CDHPs, which are high-deductible plans that are usually coupled with a tax-advantaged health savings account to help offset costs.
USPS is encouraging you to learn about the available plans to find one that best fits your needs and the needs of your family.
This year’s open season runs from Nov. 14 through Dec. 12.
The Open Season LiteBlue page has additional information, as well as a link to Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, a resource that can help you evaluate and compare specific plans.
"...And like all federal employees, they were forbidden to even advocate for the right to strike. The delay by Congress was the last straw. On March 17, New York City letter carriers voted to defy the law and go on strike. Clerks and other postal workers refused to cross their picket lines. Then, the wildcat strike suddenly spread "
Reference: postalemployee.us
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 HERE.
* VIEW AND DOWNLOAD SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY DETAILS AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS (PDF)
* Download MS Word version
Craft Determination, Single Induction Process Sorter(SIPS), Small Delivery unit Sorter (SDUS) (pdf)
We enclose a copy of a November 14, 2022 letter, just received in the National Office, that sets forth the Postal Service’s determination of craft jurisdiction for employees operating the Single Induction Parcel Sorter (SIPS) and the Small Delivery Unit Sorter (SDUS). The SIPS and SDUS are currently deployed throughout the country in both Function 1 and Function 4 facilities...
As set forth in the attached letter, the Postal Service has determined that jurisdictional assignments on the SIPS and SDUS should be divided between the Mail Handler Craft and the Clerk Craft similar to the determination used for the Automated Delivery Unit Sorter (ADUS). For those facilities in which Mail Handlers are present, mail handlers have been assigned in Function 1 (F1) operations to the staging of packages and equipment, to the sweeping of packages (removal of full containers and replacement with empty containers) including “sort plan switch out,” and to the transportation of full containers to dispatch. A different rule has been established for Function 4 (F4) operations.
Under the Update MOU, the National Office has precise deadlines for challenging this determination, for discussing the issues at the NDRC, and for appealing any remaining disputes to National arbitration. The NPMHU will comply, to the extent necessary, with all of these procedures, which are reprinted here for ease of reference:
12. Either Union may initiate a dispute at the National level within twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date of receipt of a National craft determination made by the Postal Service; otherwise, that craft determination will be final and binding on the parties. The NDRC shall have sixty (60) calendar days after receipt of the dispute to attempt to resolve the dispute.
a. If the dispute is resolved, a tripartite settlement agreement will be signed by the three parties.
b. If the dispute is unresolved at the end of the sixty (60) calendar day period, a tripartite decision will be written by the NDRC setting forth the position of each party. The moving party may appeal the dispute to National RI-399 arbitration within twenty-one (21) calendar days of the receipt of the written decision of the NDRC. Copies of the appeal must be provided to the other parties through the NDRC within the twenty-one (21) day timeframe.
c. Disputes concerning National craft determinations may be initiated only at the National level.
* * *
f. Any National-level case disputing a craft jurisdictional determination will be arbitrated within six (6) months of the implementation of the determination.
The National Office will begin the process of disputing the craft jurisdictions through the RI-399 Update MOU.
Should you have any questions about this letter or its implementation in any particular facility, please contact the National CAD. Please note that, as stated in the USPS letter, any ADUS machine that currently is operational should be adjusting assignments, if necessary, within 90 days from the November 14, 2022 date of the USPS letter, and this jurisdictional determination will go into effect no sooner than 45 days from the November 14, 2022 date of the USPS letter.
"...the Mail Chime MAIL-1200. This mailbox alert instantly beeps 4 times every time your mailbox door opens, saving you all the hassle of constantly going out to check for new mail. Theft Alarm – The Mail Chime MAIL-1200 mailbox notification system also guards you from sneaky mail theft. It comes with a highly visible..."
Reference: Federal News Group
A sales lead from a mail handler in California has resulted in a marketing deal worth more than $80,000 for the Postal Service.
Manuel Villavicencio, an equipment operator at the Santa Clarita Processing and Distribution Center, was having dinner with his daughter, who works at a local college.
She told him that the school was looking for a way to market to former and current students.
Villavicencio told his daughter to reach out to Martin Juarez, a business development specialist for the California District, who then submitted a lead for Villavicencio through the Mail Handlers program.
The program allows mail handlers to pass along information about businesses that could benefit from USPS products and services. It is supported by the National Postal Mail Handlers Union.
Doug Diello, a senior territory representative, followed up with Villavicencio’s daughter and the college to close a deal worth $80,000 in new estimated annualized revenue for the Postal Service.
“A conversation over dinner with a family member was all it took,” said Lou DeRienzo, a small-business senior specialist at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. “Manuel not only helped his daughter solve a problem, he also brought in new revenue for USPS.”
Sales generated from Mail Handlers leads are included in the USPS Delivering for Main Street campaign to raise revenue through sales leads from employees.
The Postal Service is encouraging as many employees as possible to submit at least one lead through any of its six lead programs by Sept. 30.
Postal employees with ACE IDs can submit leads through the new Employee Lead Entry site on Blue by selecting the “Submit a Lead” link under “Featured Topics.” Employees who do not have an ACE ID can access the lead entry site through LiteBlue by selecting “Submit a Lead” under the “Resource Index” tab.
Customer 360 users can click on “Submit a Lead” to access the lead entry site on that platform. Letter carriers who use a mobile delivery device, or MDD, can enter leads while on street mode, under option “U.” Business Connect Portal users have to enter a lead through the lead entry site if an activity requires sales assistance or has resulted in a sale.
The Small Business and Lead Generation Programs Blue page has more information about Customer Connect and the other employee lead programs: Business Connect, Clerks Care, Mail Handlers, Rural Reach and Submit a Lead.
"Birmingham Postmaster John Richardson says they are expecting 60 million packages a day nationwide during the peak of holiday season. “Part of the Postmaster General’s ten year plan is to make sure that we have the right infrastructure to move as much mail in a short period of time,” said Richardson. He also says this year they are adding more package processing machines. ..."
Reference: www.wbrc.com
"...Man’s body found on lawn of home in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, where police later shot English mastiff and German shepherd ...about 7pm after neighbors reported a van had been parked there for many hours. Investigators discovered that the dead man was an Amazon delivery driver."
Reference: www.theguardian.com
"Alabama Average Retirement Income: $25,004. ... Do you know how you’ll pay for retirement? Or how much you’ll need to live comfortably in those years? According to a three-part survey conducted by CNBC, over 70 percent of Americans received a serious financial wake-up call during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, many are now paying closer attention to their long-term financial goals and progress, including retirement planning. Reviewing the average retirement income can give you a sense of where to start preparing. After looking over the numbers, you can also gauge the health of your finances — and if they need a thorough check-up. .."
Reference: www.annuity.org
“While CSRS annuities and Social Security benefits will be going up 8.7%, the January 2023 COLA unfortunately will be 7.7% for those who retired under the Federal Employees Retirement System,” said Ken Thomas, national president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. ..."
Reference: www.govexec.com
"Two Birmingham men were indicted. ...indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Khory Deontay Lowe, II, 18, and Dejuan Alexander Wallace, 41, both of Birmingham, with one count of possession of stolen mail. Lowe was also charged with one count of unlawful possession of a Postal Service key. The incident was reported in Madison County on Sept. 6..."
Reference: www.wvtm13.com
"...The Cleveland Fed’s Nowcast of inflation which tracks swings in energy and other prices has inflation for September coming in at 0.3% month-on-month. Of course, that forecast may update as more data comes in, but if it holds that wouldn’t do much to dent 0verall inflation which would remain at around 8%..."
Reference: www.forbes.com
2022 No. 10 – September 20, 2022 (pdf)
You are reading the tenth Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
September 20, 2022 Memorandum (pdf)
The parties affirm that effective September 21, 2022, employees represented by the NPMHU will be allowed to bid under the new contract, whether or not the parties reach a tentative settlement, extend bargaining, or enter into impasse procedures. Successful bids on or after September 21, 2022 will be counted towards the bid maximums established in the 2022 National Agreement.
2022 No. 9 – September 19, 2022
You are reading the ninth Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
For nearly a week, the NPMHU Negotiations Team has been sequestered in the Mayflower Hotel with USPS representatives in an attempt to come to a tentative agreement on a new contract for the Mail Handler bargaining unit. The three months of contract negotiations have coalesced into these final days of bargaining. Regardless of the long and arduous road that led to this point, the NPMHU Negotiations Team remains determined to fight hard for its proposals.
Even though USPS representatives have had NPMHU proposals for months, only recently have they submitted counterproposals or proposed tentative agreements. With less than forty-eight hours to go until the expiration of the contract, the Postal Service is responding to a fraction of all NPMHU proposals. In many cases, these proposals could have been the subject of tentative agreements back in July or August, if it weren’t for unexplained USPS delays.
The good news is, as evidenced by their proposed tentative agreements and counter proposals, Postal Service officials now seem willing to negotiate. Though this comes at a late hour, the NPMHU Negotiations Team is cautiously optimistic that this change in pace will result in greater progress toward a tentative agreement on a full contract.
While the start of negotiation meetings at the Mayflower proved to be difficult, bargaining sessions have improved. Both parties are meeting with greater frequency at Main Table sessions. During these meetings, USPS officials seem much more willing and able to reach tentative agreements with the NPMHU. Though a National Agreement is far from being signed, things are looking much brighter than they did just a week ago.
Outside of Main Table negotiations, small groups and subcommittees continue to meet to discuss the finer details of each proposal. These meetings, while not as official as the Main Table sessions, are key to the bargaining process. During these sessions, both parties settle their differences and draw closer to a tentative agreement on a particular issue.
In regard to economic issues, National President Hogrogian and National Secretary-Treasurer Mike Hora continue to meet with Deputy Postmaster General Douglas Tulino in smaller sessions. While those negotiations have not yet resulted in any concrete agreements, President Hogrogian maintains that these talks have been productive and have led to an exchange of ideas.
As the deadline for the contract grows closer and closer, it is imperative that both parties remain open to an earnest and thorough negotiations process. NPMHU representatives insist that their Postal Service counterparts return to the bargaining table committed to reaching an agreement. This includes continuing to respond to NPMHU proposals in pursuit of a tentative agreement, demonstrating a genuine effort to address proposals, and showing a willingness to discuss more difficult and nuanced proposals.
Though the final days of bargaining are never easy, the NPMHU Negotiations Team remains resolute and determined to fight hard for all of its proposed changes to the National Agreement.
Above all, the NPMHU Negotiations Team wants to ensure that any agreement that it reaches with the Postal Service will be favorable for the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, the Mail Handler craft, the Postal Service, and the American mailing public.
2022 No. 9 – September 19, 2022 (pdf)
2022 No. 8 – September 16, 2022
You are reading the eighth Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
"includes the biggest wage increases for railroad workers in more than four decades. They will receive a 24 percent pay increase by 2024, including an immediate 14 percent raise; $1,000 annual bonuses over five years; and no increases to health care co-pays and deductibles. The agreement would bring the average railroad worker’s pay to $110,000 a year by 2024."
Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
The most wonderful time of the year has received a jump start.
The USPS Operation Santa program began accepting letters from people in need on Sept. 15 — six weeks earlier than last year.
The Postal Service made the announcement at the stamp dedication celebrating the new Holiday Elves stamps in North Pole, AK. Michael Elston, secretary of the Postal Service Board of Governors, led the ceremony.
“We know this is earlier than usual, but we’re pretty excited to get the season started and we know kids around the country are eager to write to Santa, using these stamps on the envelopes,” Elston said.
The 110-year-old program provides an online channel where people can safely and securely help children and families have a magical holiday when they otherwise might not have the means. Individuals can adopt letters to Santa and send gifts anonymously.
Last year, letters could be sent beginning Nov. 1. Thousands of letters were received by the time the website, USPSOperationSanta.com, opened for letter adoption on Nov. 29, 2021. However, only 2,500 letters contained the information necessary to be posted and those letters were all adopted within 10 minutes of the site opening.
The Postal Service is hoping the extra time to send letters this year will result in many more letters available to adopt on opening day, Nov. 28.
USPS Operation Santa letters are opened and reviewed, and personal information is redacted, before they are uploaded for adoption by employees, customers and others.
Letter writers must include a first and last name and a complete return address (street address, apartment number if applicable, city, state and ZIP Code). The envelope must have a postage stamp on it to travel through the Postal Service network.
Letters should be addressed to: Santa Claus, 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888.
2022 No. 7 – September 1, 2022
You are reading the seventh Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
With less than one month until the expiration of the 2019 contract between the NPMHU and USPS, bargaining between both of the parties continues in full force. As both sides prepare for their round-the-clock bargaining sessions in a few weeks, the NPMHU continues to submit proposals.
As of now, the NPMHU has submitted nearly 100 proposals for Main Table discussion. The Postal Service Negotiations team has still to submit any more proposals than its original few. With one more Main Table session before the September 6 deadline for noneconomic proposals, both sides are planning to submit their final proposals during the next few days.
Outside the Main Table sessions, members of the NPMHU Negotiations Team continue to assess and bargain issues in the critical subcommittee meetings. Most recently, the subcommittees focusing on 204B/Group Leaders and MHAs met to discuss the logistics of the NPMHU proposals. Postal Negotiators and CAD Representatives have used these meetings to discuss how proposed changes might be implemented and executed.
Supplementary to the usual bargaining activity, NPMHU and Postal officials heard presentations from Postal management about USPS finances and logistics. On August 23, NPMHU representatives traveled to Postal HQ to listen to a presentation given by VP of Network Operation Robert Cintron, and VP of Processing and
Maintenance Operations Mike L. Barber. The presentation discussed changes in USPS logistics and operations that have occurred over the last few years, and how they will be affected by Postmaster General DeJoy’s “Delivering for America” plan.
The Negotiations Team also was privy to another presentation on August 31 concerning the financial health of the Postal Service and its plans in the coming fiscal period. Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett explained the changing dynamics of USPS finances over the last three years, especially regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the Postmaster General’s “Delivering for America” plan.
During both meetings, National President Paul Hogrogian made sure to ask each presenter important questions about the impact of USPS logistical and financial decisions on Mail Handlers and other USPS employees.
On September 1, NPMHU and Postal Negotiations team met for their penultimate Main Table session before the last week of round-the-clock bargaining. During this meeting, the NPMHU Negotiations Team submitted what is likely to be its final set of non-economic proposals for Main Table consideration. Like with the other proposals, these proposals will be assigned to the appropriate subcommittee and discussed in-depth.
As the proposal deadline of September 6 draws closer, the NPMHU team expects to receive additional proposals from the Postal Service, as well as some counterproposals to the changes that the Union hopes to make to the National Agreement. On September 12, NPMHU and USPS negotiators will check into the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. For the next week, both parties will continue to negotiate, around-the-clock if necessary, with the sincere hope of reaching an agreement by the midnight deadline on September 20.
Despite being occupied by the 2020 National Convention and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the NPMHU remains optimistic that this round of negotiations will yield a contract that is good for the NPMHU, the Mail Handler Craft, the USPS, and the American mailing public. Please continue to check your bulletin boards for continuing updates on negotiations for the 2022 National Agreement.
2022 No. 7 – September 1, 2022 (pdf)
"...PSHB would make the same plans available and on the same coverage terms as in the FEHB but with their premiums determined separately. ..."
Reference: www.fedweek.com
"...The changes will take place as soon as next month. More than 200 post offices and other U.S. Postal Service facilities are set to shed some of their operations as soon as this year as the mailing agency seeks to consolidate those functions at larger buildings, according to documents shared by management. ..."
Reference: www.govexec.com
2022 No. 6 – August 23, 2022
You are reading the sixth Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
"...Keep up with the NPMHU Convention..."
Reference: convention.npmhu.org
2022 No. 4 – July 19, 2022
You are reading the fourth Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2022 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
The concept of collective bargaining is at the heart of organized labor. By the turn of the twentieth century, American laborers utilized their bargaining power as the primary tool for economic justice. Though management utilized vast and powerful resources, the ability to bargain collectively provided labor with a powerful tool to fight back.
In 1935, as a part of the New Deal program, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ensured the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) – sometimes referred to as the Wagner Act. Its passage explicitly granted workers the right to bargain collectively. However, by 1947, the American government had passed the Taft-Hartley Act, which vastly curtailed the collective bargaining power of organized labor.
Despite this setback, the power of organized labor was extended in 1962, when President Kennedy issued Executive Order 10,988, which first granted federal employees the right to collective bargaining rights. This right was expanded to the Postal Service with passage of the Postal Reorganization Act (PRA) of 1970 – which is the framework by which the USPS and the NPMHU govern their bargaining.
The bargaining process begins when one party (either the USPS or NPMHU) serves written notice to the other of the desire to modify an agreement. Under Article 39 of our National Agreement, this notice must be served between 90 and 120 days from when the contract expires. For this contract, which expires on September 20, 2022, that meant the parties had to be notified somewhere between June 20 and July 20.
The parties then spend three to four months negotiating through different proposals – which are submitted both by management and the union. If USPS and the NPMHU come to a tentative agreement, that agreement is put forth to the NPMHU membership for a vote-by-mail ballot as mandated in the NPMHU National Constitution. If the tentative agreement is accepted by the membership, it becomes the new governing document between the USPS and mail handlers.
If the NPMHU and USPS fail to come to an agreement or the tentative agreement is rejected by the membership, then the PRA leaves other options. The most popular of these options is for both parties to settle on dispute resolution procedures on their own. If the legal teams cannot agree in procedures to resolve their dispute, this activates another provision in the PRA.
First, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) would establish a 3-person fact finding panel that would then have 45 days in which to investigate the bargaining dispute and issue a report of its findings. If an agreement still has not been reached after the fact-finding panel, the PRA requires the establishment of an arbitration board within 90 days of contract expiration. This board generally consists of three members – one appointed by the Union, one appointed by the Postal Service, and a third (neutral) member.
The arbitration board holds a hearing in which both sides have the chance to present evidence in support of their claims. The board is required to make a decision 45 days after its appointment, which, as the PRA states, will be “conclusive” and “binding.” It will determine the terms of the new agreement. Therefore, the National President usually hosts a meeting of the Local Unions and receives their advice before entering arbitration.
As the NPMHU and USPS continue negotiations, please watch your bulletin boards for the latest information!
2022 No. 4 - July 19, 2022 (pdf)
Postal Items Found on Amazon Today "...Postal related items found on Amazon. Books, toys, signs, clothing, stamp collecting, ......
