Show Your Support: Gear Up With Official NPMHU Products

  Show Your Support: Gear Up With Official NPMHU Products

100% made in USA & Union Printed shirts, aprons, hoodies, watches and more...

Reference: npmhu.myshopify.com
 

Vida Sloan, former Treasurer of National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 303 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft

  Vida Sloan, former Treasurer of National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 303 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft

"...In California, Vida Sloan, former Treasurer of National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 303 (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft in the amount of $10,039, in violation of California Penal Code Section 487(A). Sloan was then sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay $10,039 in restitution..."

Reference: laborpains.org
 

Fake Federal Agents Were Detected by the Postal Inspection Service

  Fake Federal Agents Were Detected by the Postal Inspection Service

"...The stunning plot was detected by chance when someone assaulted a mail carrier and building residents told a US postal inspector they should consult with Taherzadeh and Ali. The postal inspector grew suspicious and informed the DHS..."

Reference: Postal Employee News
 

Postal Service Reform Act Signed -- Step Forward for Postal Workers

  Postal Service Reform Act Signed -- Step Forward for Postal Workers

Washington, D.C. (April 6, 2022) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement (pdf)

LIUNA commends Congress and President Biden on passage of the Postal Service Reform Act into law, which will bring the Postal Service a step closer to fiscal stability and ensure greater security for the tens of thousands of Mailhandlers, who are members of LIUNA’s sister union, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU). The successful passage of this critical legislation is thanks to the tireless advocacy and determination of NPMHU National President Paul V. Hogrogian, the NPMHU National Executive Board, and all of the unions representing postal workers.

Over a decade of advocacy in the making, the Postal Service Reform Act will repeal the onerous 2006 mandate requiring the Postal Service to pre-fund its retiree healthcare benefits. No other private sector business or federal agency uses this practice, which has caused losses of $5 billion annually for over a decade. Second, it provides Medicare integration for future postal retirees and their annuitants. Most postal retirees already participate in Medicare, and postal employees have contributed $34 billion to the program since 1983. USPS estimates that integration combined with the repeal of the pre-funding mandate will generate savings of $40 billion over ten years.

Additionally, the Postal Service Reform Act helps to stabilize service and provide avenues for revenue growth by codifying six-day delivery service and allowing USPS to make agreements to provide non-commercial services. The bill will also give greater transparency to postal customers to ensure that service meets the demands of American households and businesses.

LIUNA commends Congress and President Biden for recognizing the value of the Postal Service and its dedicated workforce by taking these crucial steps to protect this vital institution.

Reference: www.npmhu.org
 

Get More Postal News at the Newest Postal News Site

  Get More Postal News at the Newest Postal News Site

"...Get more Postal news here for the postal employee, stakeholders and their competition. A nonpartisan news site..."

Reference: postalemployee.us
 

NPMHU and USPS Extend MHA Exception Period in Exchange for 1,202 Conversions to Career Status

  NPMHU and USPS Extend MHA Exception Period in Exchange for 1,202 Conversions to Career Status

Memorandum of Understanding Re: Additional Mail Handler Staffing – March 25, 2022 (pdf)

Q&As on the MOU: Re: Additional Mail Handler Staffing – March 25, 2022 (See page 5 of 5)

March 28, 2022- Linked above, please find a new MOU signed by the NPMHU and the Postal Service to provide for additional Mail Handler staffing by converting 1,202 Mail Handler Assistants to full-time regular career employment no later than May 21, 2022. Also included is a chart listing the 42 installations in which these 1,202 conversions will take place and the number of conversions that will take place in each listed installation.

As set forth in the MOU, the Postal Service has agreed to convert 1,202 MHAs to career status, in the listed installations, by May 21, 2022. In exchange, the parties agree to extend the exception period for the continued employment of MHAs (those hired for reasons unrelated to COVID-19) in excess of the 24.5% installation cap, in the listed facilities until June 3, 2022. MHAs hired in excess of the 24.5% installation cap for COVID related reasons remain subject to a separate MOU.

Additionally, the parties have agreed to a joint Question and Answer document addressing and affirming the parties’ mutual understanding and interpretation of the provisions contained in this MOU. Please do not hesitate to contact the National CAD should you have any questions.

Reference: National Postal Mail Handlers Union via NPMHU Local 317
 

Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, H.R. 3076 Passes Senate

  Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, H.R. 3076 Passes Senate

Statement of National President Paul V. Hogrogian on the Senate Passage of the Postal Service Reform Act

The National Postal Mail Handlers Union and its allies have worked for well over a decade to bring comprehensive, bipartisan postal reform to the halls of Congress. This work resulted in the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, H.R. 3076. As my NPMHU brothers and sisters remember, the bill passed with overwhelming support in the House of Representatives by a vote of 342-92 on February 8. The Senate followed suit, and passed it on March 8, with 79 Senators voting in favor of it.

The Postal Service Reform Act repeals the burdensome 2006 mandate for the USPS to prefund its retiree healthcare benefits and aligns retiree healthcare with the best practices in the private sector that lower premiums for NPMHU members and our fellow postal employees as well as safeguarding benefits. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the legislation will save the federal government over $1.5 billion over the next ten years.

Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman worked tirelessly and fervently with Democratic and Republican members alike to reach consensus on this important and necessary legislation. I am grateful for their work, as well as that of Representatives Carolyn Maloney and James Comer, who ushered H.R. 3076 through the House.

I look forward to President Biden signing this bill into law, and providing the Postal Service with much needed fiscal stability.

Statement of National President Paul V. Hogrogian on the Senate Passage of the Postal Service Reform Act (pdf)

Reference: NPMHU Local 317
 

Handler with care: Mail Handlers employee lead generation program

  Handler with care

"...The USPS Small Business Solutions team is highlighting the Mail Handlers employee lead generation program throughout February. The organization’s 50 districts will celebrate mail handlers for their participation in the program — The Mail Handlers program has generated more than $44 million in new revenue since its inception in 2013. ..."

Reference: USPS News Link
 

The Post Office Department issued its first postage stamps on...

  The Post Office Department issued its first postage stamps on...

"...On March 3, 1847, Congress authorized United States postage stamps. The first general issue postage stamps went on sale in New York City, July 1, 1847. One, priced at five cents, depicted Benjamin Franklin. The other, a ten-cent stamp, pictured George Washington. ..."

Reference: usps.com
 

Mail Handler Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) set at $1,331

  Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) set at $1,331

Effective February 26, 2022, (Pay Period 06-2022) all career Mail Handler craft employees are scheduled to receive a cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment as outlined in Article 9.3 of the 2019 National Agreement. This is the fifth of six possible COLA increases under the terms of the current agreement. This COLA increase is based on the upward change in the relevant Consumer Price Index (CPI) following release of the January 2022 Index, using the July 2019 CPI index as a base provides an annual increase of $1,331 for all Steps in Table 1 and for Step P of Table 2. The remaining Steps in Table 2 will receive the proportional COLA increase percentages as outlined in Article 9.3 of the National Agreement.

Updated wage charts will be posted when available.

Reference: NPMHU

 

Massive check fraud operation: Encrypted communication platforms online, selling everything from postal keys used to steal mail from blue boxes to the checks themselves

  Massive check fraud operation: Encrypted communication platforms online, selling everything from postal keys used to steal mail from blue boxes to the checks themselves

"...‘This is literally a criminal conspiracy’: Criminals are stealing, editing and depositing mailed checks, leaving a trail of pain across New Orleans..."

Reference: www.wdam.com
 

Mailbox and Postal Blue Box Users: Check Washing Crime Reduction

  Mailbox and Postal Blue Box Users: Check Washing Crime Reduction

Many postal blueboxes and residential mailboxes are being robbed of handwritten checks. Thieves steal these checks and wash them. Check washing is the erasing of the written amount and altering that amount to a much greater sum. Wikipedia explains the process, but we will not detail how to wash a check. Wikipedia also explains several means a check writer can take to reduce the possibility of being the victim of check washing. One of the easiest means of doing so is to use pens with more secure inks. The makers of pens advertise these inks in various terms. Some call the inks secure inks, fraud reducing inks and archival quality inks. Basically these inks soak into the paper better than many inks and resist most solvents used in the check washing process. The inks are found primarily in rollerball, fountain pen and gel pens. One example of the pen is the uni-ball® 207™ Retractable Fraud Prevention Gel Pen offered on Amazon. Often you can find these pens in many of your local stores as well.

So if you place your mail in a residential mailbox or a United States Postal Service blue collection box we suggest you take the simple step of using one of these pens to reduce becoming a victim of the rampant escalation of check washing schemes.

Reference: npmhu317.blogspot.com
 

1973 POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES 1498a Plate Block of 20 x 8 cents US Postage Stamps

  1973 POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES 1498a Plate Block of 20 x 8 cents US Postage Stamps

"...In 1973 the USPS issued ten special stamps to highlight "Postal Week". These were "designed to emphasize to the American people the important duties performed by the men and women" who are employed by the USPS. Originally issued attached, each of the ten stamps depicts one of the many jobs performed by postal workers and contains a message written by the Post Office. Included are: Window Clerk, Mail Pickup, Conveyor Belt, Sorting Parcels, Mail Canceling, Manual Sorting, Machine Sorting, Mail Handler Loading Truck, Letter Carrier, Rural Delivery. ..."

Reference: www.amazon.com

 

Arbitrator Sharnoff Rules on AFCS Legacy Operator

  Arbitrator Sharnoff Rules on AFCS Legacy Operator

February 3, 2022 - Memorandum to Local Presidents re: Jurisdictional Determination re: Operator Position on Advanced Facer Canceller System (AFCS) Legacy Machines (pdf)

Linked here, please find a copy of National Arbitrator Sharnoff’s decision on the dispute concerning the Advanced Facer Canceller System (AFCS) Legacy machine. (pdf)

We linked above, an arbitration decision issued by National RI-399 Arbitrator Joseph Sharnoff with regard to the Advanced Facer Canceller System. It is extremely long – 164 single-spaced pages – and thus extremely difficult to describe.

The arbitrator rejected the claims filed the NPMHU, and upheld the Postal Service’s revised jurisdictional determination for the Operator position on the AFCS Legacy Machines. In short, however, the decision rejects the jurisdictional disputes filed by both the APWU and the NPMHU, and upholds the positions taken by USPS management in all respects.

https://youtu.be/hwN99KLs0jY

Unfortunately, of most importance to the NPMHU, Arbitrator Sharnoff has concluded that the Postal Service did not abuse its discretion or act arbitrarily when it shifted the operator position on the AFCS-200 to the clerk craft in 2012. Sharnoff summed up his rationale using the following words:

The Arbitrator finds, in light of the above considerations, that the USPS’s craft determination in 2012, for the Operator position on the AFCS 200, in favor of the Clerk Craft, reasonably was based on appropriate considerations, including the information known to the USPS officials at the time, and was consistent with the RI-399 Guidelines, previous Jurisdictional Arbitration Awards, and the Parties’ respective CBAs. The Arbitrator is not persuaded that it has been demonstrated by the NPMHU that this craft determination was arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, based on discriminatory or other improper considerations, or otherwise was contrary to the USPS’s exercise of discretion to make such determinations under the RI-399 Guidelines. Accordingly, the claim that the craft determination for the Operator position in favor of the Clerk Craft is denied.

At risk of stating the obvious, it is worth pointing out that under the principles of Regional Instruction (RI-399), not one time in the history of jurisdictional disputes, has an arbitrator issued a ruling that required the United States Postal Service to reverse their initial or revised jurisdictional determination.

Please do not hesitate to contact the National Office should you have any questions.

Reference: www.npmhu.org
 

Postal employees to begin receiving 2021 tax year documents today

  Postal employees to begin receiving 2021 tax year documents today

"...Current and newly retired USPS postal employees are reporting they are in receipt, as of today, the tax documents required to file 2021 tax year tax forms...mailbox today or it has been identified as a scanned image in their USPS Informed Delivery app. Informed Delivery is a great tool"

Reference: Federal Retirement
 

How do i get a passport from my local post office?

  How do i get a passport?

Article on how to get your passport and includes all the clickable links you need to expedite the process. It also identifies how to get your Passport Identification Card which is useful for entering the United States at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda and a second form of ID in some places. Please note that the passport card cannot be used for international air travel.

Reference: Federal Retiree>/i>
 

Today You Can Order Your Free At-⁠Home COVID-⁠19 Tests

  Today You Can Order Your Free At-⁠Home COVID-⁠19 Tests

Every home in the U.S. can soon order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests The tests will be completely free—there are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number.

Ordering begins today, January 19.

Reference: www.covidtests.gov
 

Packages from UPS, FedEx and Amazon being looted in LA from cargo trains

  Thieves in LA are looting freight trains filled with packages from UPS, FedEx and Amazon

Watch Video on YouTube

"...Union Pacific, one of the country's largest railroad companies, says it may avoid operating in Los Angeles County following the spike in thefts, which it blames on lax prosecution of crimes. The containers and trains are locked, but can be broken into. Union Pacific said last month in a letter to the Los Angeles District Attorney that it saw a 160% year-over-year increase in theft in LA county. The company claims that a December 2020 special directive issued by District Attorney George Gascón that changed how low-level offenses are prosecuted has contributed to the uptick. ..."

Reference: www.cnn.com


 

Postal union (APWU) warns mail slowdown could occur due to COVID-19 surge, lack of contact tracing

  Postal union (APWU) warns mail slowdown could occur due to COVID-19 surge, lack of contact tracing

"...The reason? They say postal employees aren’t being told when their coworkers are testing positive for COVID-19, allowing the virus to spread inside their facilities. “We’re really having a problem with the surge,” said Keith Combs, president of the American Postal Workers Union..."

Reference: www.wxyz.com
 

Deadline Looming on President Hogrogian's Official Call for Bargaining Proposals

  Deadline Looming on President Hogrogian's Official Call for Bargaining Proposals

To be fully considered prior to the onset of negotiations, bargaining proposals must be submitted by January 28, 2022.

Fillable bargaining proposal form (pdf)

With preparations underway for negotiations over the terms of the 2022 National Agreement between the NPMHU and the Postal Service, the National Office is issuing its official call for bargaining proposals from all members and Local Unions.

To be fully considered prior to the onset of negotiations, proposals must be submitted by January 28, 2022. Although formal bargaining is not scheduled to begin until June, the Union’s Field Negotiating Committee will be meeting for a full week in February 2022 to review all submitted proposals and outline the changes in the National Agreement that should be proposed by the NPMHU.

To be sure, planning for collective bargaining is a continuous process at the National Office, as the National Officers and representatives working in the Contract Administration Department routinely identify and collect proposals for improving the language currently found in the 2019 National Agreement. But an equally important aspect of preparing for bargaining is the collection and review of proposals generated by mail handlers across the country.

Thus, National President Paul Hogrogian has issued this official call for bargaining proposals from the membership, the Local Unions, and other subordinate bodies of the NPMHU. If you have any proposals that you would like to have considered for the upcoming round of bargaining, now is the time to submit them to the National Office. Every proposal submitted will be fully analyzed by the NPMHU’s Field Negotiating Committee and the National Negotiations Team while the Union develops its opening bargaining proposals.

All proposals should set forth the Article, Section, Paragraph, and/or Page of the National Agreement that you are suggesting should be changed; the specific language you would like to see added to, or deleted from, the current National Agreement; and your specific reasons for suggesting the change. If you have supporting evidence or documentation that you believe would support the change that you propose, please submit those materials to the National Office along with your proposals. The National Office is asking that all proposals be submitted as soon as possible, but in no event later than January 28, 2022. The National Office also has issued a form that can be used to submit proposals.

Once again, proposals from any member (or group of members) and any Local Unions or other subordinate body should be submitted to the National Office by January 28, 2022, using the following address:

National Postal Mail Handlers Union
ATTN: 2022 Negotiations
815 16th Street, NW, Suite 5100
Washington, DC 20006

Reference: npmhu.org
 

No More Surprise Medical Bills: 5 Things To Know about the No Surprises Act Taking Effect in 2022

  No More Surprise Medical Bills: 5 Things To Know about the No Surprises Act Taking Effect in 2022

New Year. New Law. Beginning January 1, 2022, new federal protections will shield millions of consumers from surprise medical bills. Surprise medical bills – unexpected bills from an out-of-network provider, out-of-network facility or out-of-network air ambulance provider – is common among those with private insurance. Nearly one in five patients who go to the emergency room, have an elective surgery, or give birth in a hospital receive surprise bills, with average costs ranging from $750 to $2,600 per episode. Learn about how the No Surprises Act can protect you from surprise medical billing. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Reference: https://www.hhs.gov/
 

USPS, USDS collaborate on new COVID-19 test website: Free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests

  USPS, USDS collaborate on new COVID-19 test website

"...The United States Postal Service and United States Digital Service have been working on a new website for Americans to order free, at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. The administration is confident it won't crash in meeting massive demand. The White House is standing up a new website for Americans to order free at-home COVID-19 tests as part of an effort first announced last month to expand access to testing across the country.

The new website will go live with capabilities for Americans to order up to four free, at-home rapid tests per residential address on Jan. 19.

When asked about the new website (COVIDtests.gov) during a White House call..."

Reference: www.fcw.com
 

Thrift Savings Plan Contribution limits increase this year

  Thrift Savings Plan Contribution limits increase this year

The Postal Service wants employees to know that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has made changes to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contribution limits for 2022.

Employees can now contribute up to $20,500 to their TSP, starting Jan. 1. The previous limit was $19,500.

Additionally, employees age 50 and older can also use the TSP catch-up option to contribute an additional $6,500, for a total of $27,000 in contributions.

Employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) who contribute 5 percent of their basic pay to the TSP each pay period are reminded that the Postal Service will contribute an additional 4 percent of your basic pay to your TSP account in addition to an automatic 1 percent contribution.

TSP participants who have not maxed out their contributions are encouraged to consider increasing their contribution amounts to better reach their retirement savings goals.

Employees who want to make changes to their TSP contributions should access PostalEase on LiteBlue.

Reference: usps.com
 

Most Popular Commemorative 'Saved' Stamp

  Most Popular Commemorative 'Saved' Stamp

"...Elvis: The most popular (in terms of number saved, not sold) commemorative stamp issued by the USPS is the 1993 Elvis stamp. Over 124 million of this colorful 29-cent stamp featuring the famous singer have been saved..."

Reference: Postal News Network

Get the '1993 Elvis Stamp' on Amazon HERE

 

Biden admin 'plans' to have Postal Service mail 500M coronavirus at-home test kits amid surge

  Biden admin 'plans' to have Postal Service mail 500M coronavirus at-home test kits amid surge

"... Officials hope to start shipping tests within the month; they will be sent to people who request them on a yet-to-be-launched government website..."

Reference: Postal Briefing
 

The Great Resignation: Labor Department Says 4.5 Million Americans Quit Their Jobs In November

  The Great Resignation: Labor Department Says 4.5 Million Americans Quit Their Jobs In November

"...The Great Resignation continues. The Labor Department says 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November, a new record. ...He says people are quitting in the middle of a worker shortage. There are 10.6 million job openings in the U.S., according to the Labor Department. ..."

Reference: cbslocal.com
 

Fresno homeowner saddened as video shows small child stealing package from doorstep

  Fresno homeowner saddened as video shows small child stealing package from doorstep

"...A Fresno homeowner’s security cameras captured video showing a small child taking a package from the porch of the home. ..."

Reference: www.sacbee.com
 

What is ‘naked packaging’? Experts say it’s luring porch pirates

  What is ‘naked packaging’? Experts say it’s luring porch pirates

"...WGN has recently learned of complaints about more deliveries, with some referred to as “naked packages.” WGN captured a flat-screen TV dropped off on a local porch with packaging showing anyone walking by precisely what was inside. Dr. Ben Stickle, associate professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Middle Tennessee State University, is a porch piracy expert..."

Reference: pix11.com
 

He prevailed upon the US Postal Service to establish a post office

  He prevailed upon the US Postal Service to establish a post office

"...according to the late journalist and historian John Parris. Following his lead, officials opened not one but two post offices in the area, dubbing them Trust and Luck, and named Plemmons postmaster of the Luck branch. ..."

Reference: wncmagazine.com