NPMHU 317 Election Dates (Modification)

 

August 2, 2008, Count Official Ballots

August 3, 2008, Post Official Results

 

COLA Update: (CPI) for June 2008

 
Contract COLA: $1,330

"...The actual COLA will reflect the increase in the CPI between January and July 2008. It will be payable the second full pay period following the release of the July 2008 index..."   

Source: www.nalc.org

 

Burrus to VER-Eligible Employees: ‘DON’T GO’

 

"...With news that eligible employees will soon be receiving notice from the Postal Service about an offer of Voluntary Early Retirement (VER), APWU President William Burrus is advising union members to delay making a decision as long as possible.

“The decision about when to retire is a personal one that is influenced by family obligations and lifestyle,” Burrus said. “But the attractiveness of ending a career early should be weighed with consideration of factors that may not be readily apparent.”

In addition to life-long annuity reductions, he said, employees should realize that the Postal Service offer is being made because of the prospect of heavy financial losses in the current fiscal year and beyond. “The opportunity to retire early may be tempting, but it is not being offered for the employee’s benefit: It is intended to improve the financial condition of the Postal Service.”

“An employee who retires after 25 years of service can expect to receive an annuity of less than half of the average basic salary of the last three years,” Burrus said. He noted that this would exclude most of the time period covered by the 2008 upgrade and the September 2008 Cost-of-Living Adjustment, which is expected to be over $1,000 — one of the largest in postal history.

“Employees who can work for another 15 years before reaching their annuity maximums can expect pay hikes over that time equal to the nearly $18,000 in raises over the past 15 years,” Burrus said of the increase from $34,000 to September’s $52,000.

“The USPS would save about $1 million in salary, benefits, and retirement annuity for each such employee,” he said.

“Those who take the early-out offer will allow the Postal Service to avoid these future obligations, while receiving a significantly lower annuity for the balance of their lives — and lives of their survivors.” The annuity reduction would be “substantial,” he said, and cannot be justified unless the Postal Service offers an incentive.

“We have discussed incentives with the Postal Service,” Burrus said, “but, so far, management has refused to consider any kind of bonus in conjunction with the early-out offer.” The discussions with management are continuing, he said.

“We do not oppose Voluntary Early Retirement per se,” Burrus said, “but we believe incentives should be offered and all eligible employees should be included.”

“And we expect that if a sufficient number of employees do not accept the early-out, the Postal Service will still face a significant deficit, and will still be forced to find ways to reduce the workforce. We will be having continuing discussions with postal management,” he said, “and these discussions will be influenced by the number of employees who voluntarily retire without incentives.”

“In this uncertain economy, there is no reason to make a hasty decision,” Burrus said. “Energy and medical costs are escalating, which will make it extremely difficult to survive on a fixed income. One simply has to consider the financial disincentives to retire early, especially without an upfront monetary incentive.”

“As employees who meet the eligibility criteria think about their choices, I ask that they forgo making a quick decision. At this time, the union’s recommendation to eligible employees is that unless you have compelling personal reasons to retire early, DON’T GO.” ..."
Reference: www.apwu.org

 

[NPMHU] First Update on VERA: Voluntary Early Retirement

 

"...The National Office has learned that the Postal Service has formally been granted authority by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to offer a VERA to certain postal employees during the period from June 30, 2008 through June 30, 2009...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

 

Mailboxes Vandalized in Meridianville Alabama

 
Mailbox Mayhem
"...now has a new mailbox... Hoping this one will last. "Went yesterday afternoon and bought a new mailbox..says indestructable vandalism-proof.... we'll see," said Irons. Neighbors also say someone took a mailbox and smashed the windows of a car. Reports have been filed with the Madison County Sheriff's Office..."
Reference: www.whnt.com

 

National Postal Mail Handlers Union Leaders Meet with Sen. Obama

NPMHU President Hegarty Meets With Presidential Candidate Sen. Barack Obama





Pictures of NPMHU President Hegarty with Sen. Obama




 

Post Office Pushes The Envelope In Pojoaque

 
Post Office Pushes The Envelope In Pojoaque

No Mail Delivered To Residents

"...Those with a Pojoaque address can pick up mail from a van parked on West Guiterrez Street between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m..."    

Source: www.koat.com

 

USPS Seeks Contract EEO Investigators

 
Solicitation Number: 072368-del-eeo

"...Selected individuals will be home-based independent contractors, located throughout the United States, who will enter into Ordering Agreements with the USPS to provide investigative services in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement. Individual Task Orders assigning the investigation of particular complaints of discrimination may be issued under the Ordering Agreement in a "fee for service" arrangement. There is no guarantee of work or the number of cases assigned. An investigator is paid on a “per case” basis, generally $1100, on successful completion of the case..."    

NEEOISO

Source: www.fbo.gov, Solicitation Number: 072368-del-eeo

Resource for Training: http://www.eeotraining.eeoc.gov
 

USPS Network Plan and the Impact on the Postal Employee

 

The following are excerpts from the June 2008 USPS Network Plan relative to employee impact. Again, these are only excerpts, you must read the plan in its entirety to fully understand the excerpts in their proper context. However, it is obvious that the USPS workforce is in for substantial changes:

"...By measuring local mail processing equipment performance against national
benchmarks, Machine Performance Scorecards give local managers a
convenient metric against which to analyze machine and operator performance..."

"...the Postal Service is evaluating the relocation of various mail
processing operations..."

"...assuming the removal of existing
equipment in Bulk Mail Centers, the availability of BMC floorspace for other
operations may affect surrounding Processing & Distribution Centers. If Flats
Sequencing Systems and bundle sortation equipment are deployed to BMCs, the
P&DCs will experience a reduction in flat and bundle processing..."

"...Should the implementation of the Network Plan
make it necessary to apply these processes, all Postal Service career employee
personnel actions will follow a general sequential escalation of impact and will
comply with applicable rules and regulations, including Veterans’ Preference
laws..."

"...d. Voluntary Early Retirement Provisions
Under these provisions, the Postal Service requests authority from the
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer eligible impacted
employees opportunities to apply for voluntary early retirement. It is the
Postal Service’s policy to request such voluntary early retirement authority
from OPM even for impacted employees covered by collective bargaining
agreements that do not contain voluntary early retirement provisions..."

"...Qualified employees who are involuntarily separated due to organizational
changes, and who are not eligible to apply for discontinued service retirement or
optional retirement, receive severance pay..."

"...The Area Mail Processing consolidations and proposed Bulk Mail Center network
reconfiguration will involve numerous site-specific employee impact
determinations which cannot be quantified until the changes proposed for
particular facilities have been identified and thoroughly analyzed. The Postal
Service considers that, for purposes of its Network Plan, it has sufficient flexibility
with which to make the workforce changes that may be necessary. To the extent
that implementation of the plan requires the accomplishment of workforce
reductions more expeditiously than can be achieved through attrition..."

The above information is taken from the USPS POSTAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENHANCEMENT ACT § 302 NETWORK PLAN, June 2008

Reference: postal-newsgroup.blogspot.com