Call the Legislative Hotline now to speak to your House Representative and urge them to OPPOSE any cuts to federal and postal pensions.
Tell Congress: Oppose Pension Cuts! Ask your family and friends to make the call too.
On April 30, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved a number of significant cuts to the retirement benefits of postal and federal workers. Passed by a slim margin of 22-21, this measure will now be included in the full reconciliation package which Republican leadership is aiming to hold a full House vote on sometime this month. The retirement cuts would have devastating implications for APWU members, including:
Eliminating the FERS Social Security supplement, which allows workers who have earned their retirement the ability to retire before their Social Security benefits begin;
Increasing the FERS annuity contribution rates for all active employees to 4.4%;
Replacing the High-3 FERS annuity calculation with a High-5 calculation, resulting in a reduction in annuity payments.
Also included in the passed were egregious attacks on federal employees, such as:
Charging a filing fee for Merit Systems Protection Board Claims and Appeals, and
Forcing new hires in the federal workforce to choose between at-will employment or paying an increased FERS contribution rate of 9.4%. While this specific proposal does not currently apply to postal workers, it is a dangerous change to eliminate job security and protections from government service.
Call the Legislative Hotline now to speak to your House Representative and urge them to OPPOSE any cuts to federal and postal pensions.
Some employees are being contacted and being told that they are not entitled to the incentive based on the date they chose for retirement. In all cases, employees who submitted their retirement application between January 13, 2025 and March 7, 2025, must have chosen April 30, 2025, as their retirement date. Only employees who had submitted retirement paperwork prior to January 13, 2025, and had chosen a retirement earlier than April 30, 2025, were allowed to leave prior to April 30, 2025 and get the incentive. That was clarified in question #15 of the Questions and Answers. I understand that those employees were offered the option to change their retirement date to April 30, 2025.
I am still being told that employees will receive written notice of their acceptance/approval for the retirement. I have not been informed when those will be going out.
Employees who sent a request to cancel their retirement prior to the March 7, 2025, should receive notice that their retirement was cancelled and their retirement packet returned to them. It has taken some time to process those and get the packets returned. If you are aware of someone who canceled and has not heard back, please have the local president reach out to me with the name and EIN of the employee, so I can check on their cancelation.
According to a Feb. 6 letter from 28 senators to the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The act, which provides full Social Security benefits for 3.2 million U.S. public service workers and their spouses, will take about a year to go into effect, according to the SSA. Read the full letter on our retirement tab on the left.
At a December 2024 press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump said his administration would be looking into privatizing the United States Postal Service, renewing efforts from his first presidential term to limit government programs and services. The Washington Postreported that same month that Trump stated the government should not subsidize the agency due to its annual financial losses.
“The days of bailouts and handouts are over,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) said during a December 2024 hearing with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “The American people spoke loud and clear…there’s going to be significant reform over the next four years.”
To understand more about what’s happening with USPS and get a better sense of where calls for government cuts are coming from, I talked with Mark Dimondstein, the president of the American Postal Workers Union. The union represents over 200,000 USPS employees and retirees.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Trump administration and groups like DOGE are pushing for more cuts to the federal government. For USPS, the argument seems to be that the mail system loses money and is no longer relevant, and therefore, should be curtailed. What do you think about this perspective?
To me, DOGE is a question of billionaire oligarchs trying to figure out how to get more money into their private profits. So all of this stuff about efficiency is really a cover for that, and that also carries over to those who want to privatize the Post Office. The Post Office takes in about $80 billion a year in revenue. Those on the private side of the industry want their hands on that money because when it’s in the public domain, they can’t use it to generate private profits.
The U.S. Postal Service’s plan to reform its operations and fix its finances is defective, overly optimistic and will severely damage its performance, a regulator with oversight of the agency found in a new review.
The negative impacts of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s Delivering for America plan have been felt since it was first implemented in 2021, the Postal Regulatory Commission said in an advisory opinion, and years later is still not ready for implementation. USPS is likely to realize little benefit from the proposals, PRC said, while worsening service and negatively impacting certain mail products and communities. DeJoy and postal management have repeatedly said all of his steps to overhaul the Postal Service are necessary for the survival of the agency and anyone standing in his way would hasten its demise.
“The commission urges the Postal Service to reconsider whether the speculative, meager gains from this proposal outweigh the certain downgrade in service for a significant portion of the nation,” PRC wrote.
The commission, whose opinion is non-binding but was being closely watched by lawmakers in both parties, said it recognizes that USPS is in a difficult position and supports the push for change. It issued its opinion after postal management requested it, which followed criticism from Democrats, Republicans, the USPS inspector general and stakeholders.
PRC specifically examined two parts of DeJoy’s plan: its Regional Transportation Optimization initiative, which requires mail to sit overnight at post offices instead of being collected each evening for transportation to a processing center, and its processing plant consolidations that will result in the 60 regional processing distribution centers. To accommodate the changes, the Postal Service will deliver some mail more slowly. Together, USPS projected the efforts would save around $4 billion annually.
The regulators said the Postal Service should better prepare for its RTO initiative, as the plan was rushed, included incomplete information on impacts and lacked regional specificity. The consolidation plan, it added, is unlikely to “create a more efficient network compared to the legacy network.”
“Other than saying ‘trust us,’ the Postal Service offers little convincing evidence or testimony to reasonably support its claims that its proposed actions will turn out the way it estimates,” PRC said.
The Postal Service failed to provide empirical evidence to support its cost savings claims and even if fully realized would reduce its annual operating costs by just 4%. Those savings are “not likely to significantly improve the Postal Service’s financial condition,” the commission said.
The regulators added that postal management is underselling the impact of its changes and estimated that half of all ZIP Codes will have downgraded service for regular, First-Class mail. They added that in places USPS has implemented its plans to date, most notably in Richmond, Virginia, and Atlanta, performance declined precipitously.
“In considering the Postal Service’s claims that service performance and reliability will improve as a result of its proposed changes, the commission is concerned that the opposite may occur,” the watchdog said.
PRC added USPS was glossing over how much more significantly rural communities would feel the impacts of the changes. Some populations will not receive First-Class mail pieces for six or more days, it said. Those impacts may render the reforms in violation of the law, the commission added.
David Walton, a USPS spokesman, said the agency was reviewing the advisory opinion and did not yet have any further comment. DeJoy previously promised to lawmakers he would take the PRC’s opinion seriously and tweak his plan as he saw fit. PRC made more than three-dozen recommendations for updating DeJoy’s reforms.
DeJoy vehemently defended his efforts during hearings last month and said anyone standing in his way would bring about the end of the Postal Service. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pledged to “go to the mat” on the issue and work with everyone on the committee to sink DeJoy’s plan.
“I hate this plan and I’m going to do everything I can to kill it,” Hawley said.
Postal management also recently announced lower on-time delivery targets for 2025, with USPS now saying, for example, it expects to deliver regular cards and letters slated for two-day delivery on time just 87% of the time in fiscal 2025 compared to its goal of 93% in fiscal 2024. For mail scheduled to be delivered in three-to-five days, USPS now hopes to deliver 80% on time compared to 90% in fiscal 2024.
Please be advised that the Day of mourning for President James Carter will be observed on Thursday, January 9th. The USPS will suspend regular mail deliveries, retail services and administrative office activity on that day. Employees will receive 8 hours of administrative leave for that day. Employees who are required by management to work that day or employees who have Thursday as a lay/off day, will be given 8 hours of administrative leave to be used at a later date by the end of the fiscal year.
Schumer tells feds he’ll call a vote on windfall elimination provision repeal
The Social Security Fairness Act,
which would repeal to controversial tax provisions affecting some federal workers and retirees, has 63 sponsors in the Senate, more than the 60 votes needed to force a vote on the measure.
On November 12, we witnessed a historic moment with the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82, to repeal the windfall elimination provision (WEP) and the government pension offset (GPO), passing the House with overwhelming majority 327-75. Now it is time to ramp up efforts and push for the bill to be brought to the Senate floor to help us get one step closer in achieving WEP/GPO repeal!
We urge all members to contact their senators to CLICK ON LINK BELOW NOW!!!!!!!!!
With H.R. 82 being passed, and few legislative days left in the session, it’s crucial to get Senate action on H.R. 82/S. 597. The momentum for repealing WEP and GPO is strong. It’s essential that we keep our advocacy strong in working towards getting WEP/GPO repeal passed prior to the end of year!
Open Season Is (Nov. 11) NOVEMBER 12– Dec. 9 Open Season is the annual enrollment period for health benefits. Outside a qualifying life event (QLE), this is the only time to enroll or make changes to your benefits. New this Open Season is the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2025. Changes to your benefits can be made (Nov.11) NOVEMBER 12TH through Dec. 9 using the new Postal Service Health Benefits System (PSHBS). A link to the PSHBS can be found on keepingposted.org. The USPS Open Season Virtual Fair kicks off Nov. 3, with an Open Season 101 seminar presented by the Benefits and Wellness team. The seminar covers how your benefits work together and explains the new benefits programs. The virtual fair also provides an opportunity to visit PSHB provider booths attend presentations from health and dental insurance carriers, Medicare, Social Security, Thrift Savings Plan, CHECKBOOK’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and more. For the fair schedule and Open Season benefits programs, go to keepingposted.org. Reminder regarding the Medicare Part B Special Enrollment Period: If you were an eligible annuitant who chose to enroll in Medicare Part B during the recent Special Enrollment Period, please note the following: 1. Open Season is an opportunity to select a health benefits plan that works in conjunction with your Medicare coverage. 2. Review plan options carefully, to include premium reimbursement rebate incentives. 3. Your Medicare Part B coverage will be effective on January 1, 2025. 4. If, after reviewing the PSHB plan information, you want to rescind your Medicare Part B enrollment, you can request a termination from the Social Security Administration until December 31, 2024. It is best to cancel as soon as possible to avoid an inadvertent payment of Medicare Part B premiums. If your request to cancel Medicare Part B enrollment is made after January 1, 2025, you will no longer be eligible for the PSHB Program unless a Medicare Part B exception applies. You will also be responsible for any Part B and PSHB premiums due through the month of termination. If you have questions regarding termination of Part B or if you would like to terminate your Part B enrollment, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. TTY users call 1-800-325-0778. Login.gov: This Open Season, a login.gov account will be required to access the new Postal Service Health Benefits System (PSHBS). The PSHBS must be used to make changes or enroll in a health benefits plan under the new PSHB Program. Login.gov is a secure sign-in service. Creating an account can be done in a few steps. Visit login.gov for more information and to create an account. Open Season begins Nov. 11 and will be here in a few days. Don’t wait to create your login.gov account. Important information coming to your mailbox: You will receive a “Crosswalk” guide on which plan under the new PSHB program is most comparable to your current Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plan. You should review the plan identified for you to ensure that it is the most advantageous for your coverage needs. If you are satisfied, no action needs to be taken. You and your covered dependents will be transitioned to the new PSHB plan identified for you. Please be sure to check your mail for this guide. USPS RETIREE E-NEWSLETTER November 2024 Frequently Asked PSHB Questions Question: How do I enroll in a health plan if I do not want the plan that has been identified for me in the “crosswalk” letter? Answer: To enroll in a health plan, you will need to first establish a login.gov account. This account is required to access the Postal Service Health Benefits System (PSHBS). Utilize CHECKBOOK’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and Retirees to view and compare plans. After determining the plan that is best for you, make the change using the Postal Service Health Benefits System (PSHBS) which is the new enrollment platform for PSHB.
APWU National Executive Board Endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for the Next President of the United States
On July 23, 2024, the APWU National Executive Board voted unanimously to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the next President of the United States. One day earlier, the AFL-CIO Executive Council, where the APWU is represented by President Mark Dimondstein, voted unanimously to endorse Kamala Harris for U.S. President.
These votes and endorsements came on the heels of the changed circumstances in the presidential campaign, with President Joe Biden declaring he is no longer a candidate in the upcoming 2024 election.
The APWU National Executive Board vote also reflects the guidance and direction of the APWU National Convention where 2000 delegates, just last week and prior to Biden’s withdrawal, overwhelmingly voted to endorse the Biden-Harris ticket.
The National Executive Board recognizes and respects that our members reflect many different political affiliations and viewpoints. The Executive Board does not dictate how our members vote.
The National Executive Board does encourage our members and their families, regardless of political affiliation, to vote based on the issues that uplift and promote a better life for postal workers and all working people.
“The outcome of this presidential election will have a huge impact on postal workers and the choice in this election is stark,” declared National President Mark Dimondstein. “Either we elect Donald Trump who plans to destroy the public Postal Service, our jobs and union, further undermine workers’ rights, women’s rights and voting rights, and send us on a path to dictatorship, or elect Kamala Harris who has proven as Vice President and in prior political office, to have demonstrated support for postal issues and some genuine advocacy for workers’ rights, women’s rights, unions, respect for all people and common decency.”
The APWU will continue to share with the membership issue-based assessments of the 2024 presidential and congressional candidates and encourage our members to be fully engaged in the upcoming and vitally important presidential election as we work together to expand our democratic rights and protect our jobs, our union and the public Postal Service.
Trump calls federal workforce 'crooked,' vows to hold them 'accountable'
In an interview with a right-wing Youtuber, the former president seemingly alluded to reviving Schedule F and other Trump-era policies aimed at making it easier to fire federal employees.
August 28, 2024 03:49 PM ET
Erich Wagner
Former President Trump called federal employees “crooked” and “dishonest” in an interview published Monday, and said if elected in November, that they would be held “accountable.”
The remarks came during an interview conducted by conservative Youtuber Shawn Ryan, who asked the Republican presidential nominee how he planned to restore Americans’ trust in government.
“I think that one of the biggest problems within the country is the distrust in the United States government, and I’m one of them,” Ryan said. “I have zero trust in any government agencies. I have zero trust in our Congress, the Senate, anything. We have a government that’s not functioning right now. How are you going to gain back the trust of the American people within the government, and are we going to see anybody held accountable?”
“The answer is yes on the second [question], they’re going to be held accountable,” Trump responded. “They’ve got to be held accountable [for] what they’re doing. They’re destroying this country. They’re crooked people, they’re dishonest people. They’re going to be held accountable.”
Though Trump did not explicitly say how he would hold federal workers accountable during the interview, he has previously indicated that if elected this fall, he would revive Schedule F, an abortive plan from the end of his time in office to reclassify tens of thousands of federal employees in “policy-related” into the excepted service, effectively making them at-will employees.
Officials with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign quickly tied Trump’s comments to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-led Republican transition project known as Project 2025, whose policy book also calls for Schedule F’s return.
Though Project 2025 entered the public consciousness due to a slew of unpopular proposals in the Heritage-produced book series, entitled Mandate for Leadership, a key objective of the initiative was to build a database of 20,000 potential political appointees for the next Republican president. The discrepancy between Project 2025’s recruitment goals and the roughly 4,000 federal jobs set aside for political appointees has raised concerns among Democrats and civil service experts that conservatives may be gearing up to stack previously non-partisan posts with Trump loyalists.
“When Donald Trump promises to lock up or fire tens of thousands of civil service workers he deems his enemies, he’s reading directly from his Project 2025 playbook,” said Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa in a statement. “Trump’s Project 2025 was explicitly set up to replace tens of thousands of workers who serve our nation with an army of loyalists solely focused on serving Donald Trump and his plan to be a dictator on day one. This November, voters will stop Trump’s dream from becoming our nightmare.”
Later in the interview, Trump reflected on his first term in office, saying due to his lack of connections in Washington, he relied on people he referred to as “RINOs”—Republicans in Name Only—to staff his administration.
“When I came in originally, I didn’t know anyone in Washington,” Trump said. “[So] I had to rely on people to give me names, and many were really good . . . I’d ask people who were RINOs, ‘Who do you recommend for such and such a position?’ And they’d recommend some people who were RINOs or something, or were weak, or not good. And I don’t have to ask too much right now, because I know the people now.”
The United States Postal Service has notified OPM that it will no longer participate in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) for USPS employees effective January 1, 2025. USPS employees will not be eligible to enroll in FSAFEDS during this Open Season, and your participation in FSAFEDS will end December 31, 2024. We want to make sure you are aware that as a result, your account(s) will have different deadlines than in prior years. Please see the important dates that will impact your 2024 account(s):
Eligible expenses for your Health Care FSA (HCFSA), Limited Expense HCFSA (LEX HCFSA), and Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) must be incurred by December 31, 2024. You cannot carry over any HCFSA funds to the next plan year and will not have a DCFSA grace period, since you will not be eligible to enroll in FSAFEDS for the 2025 plan year.
All claims must be submitted no later than April 30, 2025. Any remaining funds will be forfeited.
The USPS will be mailing out the crosswalk letters for the 2025 PSHB on October 28! Two things, it will be sent First Class and the envelope will be emblazoned in red, “PSHB INFORMATION”. Do not just throw it away. You will want to read it. 99% of us will automatically be cross walked into the same plan you already have. BUT, some of the smaller carriers are not available for 2025. This is what the letter looks like.
Social Security beneficiaries and CSRS RETIREES will get a 2.5 percent increaseFERS retirees set for a 2% increase in their monthly payments next year, announced Oct. 10.
September 21, 2024 The Collective Bargaining Agreement (union contract) between the American Postal Workers Union and the United States Postal Service covers the wages, hours, and working conditions of 200,000 postal workers. Our current contract was due to expire at midnight, September 20, 2024.
We opened bargaining with the Postal Service on June 25. Since then, we have met frequently to exchange proposals and make progress toward the good, new contract postal workers deserve. In the last week, the APWU and postal management were “locked down,” engaging in around-the-clock negotiating sessions at the “main table,” the “craft tables,” and in other committees.
During the “lock-down” there has been some modest progress on a number of issues affecting all our crafts, including job security, protecting bargaining unit work, and a narrowing of differences on other important items, including the economic package.
However, the APWU and management were unable to secure a negotiated agreement by midnight, September 20.
As expiration approached, your National Negotiating Committee (NNC) faced two options: either begin the process of mediation with the expectation that we would head to interest arbitration or seek mutual agreement with postal management to “stop the clock,” (meaning the contract does not expire on September 20) and continue negotiations for a period of time.
It was the decision of the NNC to “stop the clock” and continue bargaining. We have secured an agreement from management that the negotiators will meet at least once a week going forward. It is also the position of the NNC that we will reevaluate progress on a regular basis and invoke mediation if further negotiations are not productive.
This decision is similar to the one taken by the NNC in our previous round of bargaining in 2021, when we “stopped the clock” and continued negotiations. In 2021, we reached a tentative agreement in early December, which the membership later ratified with a strong 94 percent “yes” vote.
“The entire APWU negotiating team is united in our efforts to secure the good new contract that our members deserve,” said APWU Industrial Relations Director and Chief Spokesperson Charlie Cash. “We all believe that continuing negotiations is in the best interest of our members as we continue to make progress towards our bargaining goals.”
“The APWU will not be deterred in our quest to win a contract that hard-working postal workers can be proud of,” declared President Mark Dimondstein. “It is crucial that as we continue to negotiate that our entire membership stay engaged, union proud, and union strong in our struggle for justice.”
The APWU will continue to keep the members updated, including regular messages on the negotiation “hotline” at (202) 642-9049, our website (apwu.org), and on our social media channels.
The APWU has never stopped fighting to pass the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82, S. 597). This bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which are parts of Social Security law that unfairly reduce, or sometimes eliminate, Social Security benefits for millions of postal and federal annuitants. The GPO and WEP penalize CSRS retirees that meet the requirements for Social Security benefits and have paid their fair share into the program. To read stories from APWU members negatively affected by the unfair WEP and GPO,
To address this inequity, 327 members of the House and 63 members of the Senate from both parties now support this legislation. With this much bipartisan support, our next step is to back a discharge petition. A discharge petition is a process to bring any bill sitting in committee to the House floor for a vote as long as at least 218 members of Congress sign the petition. In this instance, a successful discharge petition would bypass both the Speaker of the House and committee to bring H.R. 82 to the House floor for an up or down vote before we run out of time this Congress.
We are asking every APWU member to call their representative and tell them to sign the discharge petition, H.Res. 1410. Dial the APWU Legislative Hotline at 1-844-402-1001 to be connected to your member of Congress.
I have received multiple emails and questions on the Postal Services eLRA (online leave request system) that is accessed through liteblue. For years, when employees called in sick, the used a phone number to call in and upon their return a 3971 was printed and they signed it at work. Now, if employees use the online system, they receive a 3971 that says something like no signature need or digital signature—I am not sure because I have not seen one yet.
Years ago, when this system was put in place, it was only open to EAS employees. We cautioned everyone not to use it and to continue to call in because of the tracking and other data collected. It is now open to bargaining unit employees and our folks are using it I am sure because of the convenience and the fact they don’t have to talk to anyone etc.
However, I once again caution against using the system. I eLRA is found in the MyHR apps of liteblue. When you click on it you get a warning that you should do anything criminal and this sentence:
All information in this application may be monitored, intercepted, read, copied, captured, and disclosed by and to authorized personnel for official purposes, including criminal prosecution. Any authorized or unauthorized use of this application signifies consent to and compliance with Postal Service policies and these terms.
You need to assume that your browser data, your IP address, and location is being collected. One must agree to this just to get into eLRA. . Take note If you ask for more than 3 days of sick leave—it automatically asks for documentation. Next, take a look where I changed my request to LWOP. It again asked me for documentation. Employees need to be aware that if they use this system, they are going to see this screen and you can bet management will use it against them if they don’t bring in documentation. It is also concerning that it is asking for documentation when the 3-day language only refers to paid leave.
Finally take note the screen where the signature issue comes into play—you are authorizing your 3971 to be electronically signed. Employees need to know that they are agreeing to this. This is another reason this system should not be used.
Remember—no one is required to use this system—so they shouldn’t! They need to be aware of what they are clicking on and agreeing to when using it. I will provide more information as it becomes available.
House lawmakers plan to force a vote on bill to kill provision that cuts some feds' retirement pay
The Social Security Fairness Act would abolish two tax provisions that reduce retirement benefits for some federal workers.
August 26, 2024 02:12 PM ET
Abipartisan pair of lawmakers announced Monday that they would act to force a vote on the House floor on a measure that would repeal a pair of controversial tax rules that negatively impact some federal employees’ retirement income.
The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), introduced last year by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garrett Graves, R-La., would repeal Social Security’s windfall elimination provision and government pension offset.
The windfall elimination provision reduces Social Security benefits for retired federal, state and local government workers who worked in both the private sector and at a government job where Social Security is not intended as an element of their retirement income, like the Civil Service Retirement System. The government pension offset reduces spousal and survivor Social Security benefits by two-thirds if the beneficiary is also a government employee.
According to the lawmakers, the windfall elimination provision affects the Social Security benefits of roughly 2 million former government workers, while the GPO impacts nearly 800,000 retirees.
But despite widespread dissatisfaction with the two provisions among government workers who have spent part of their career in the private sector and growing bipartisan support for axing them, the measure has never made it to the House floor for a vote. As of Monday, the bill had 325 cosponsors in the House.
In a statement Monday, Spanberger and Graves announced that when Congress returns from the August recess next month, they will file a discharge petition in an effort to force a floor vote on the bill. In order to be successful, a discharge petition requires the signatures of at least 218 lawmakers.
“For more than 40 years, millions of Americans—police officers, teachers, firefighters and other local and state public servants—have been stripped of their Social Security benefits as an unjust penalty for devoting much of their careers to serving their communities and fellow Americans,” the pair said. “These Virginians, Louisianans and American across our country deserve their full retirement benefits—just like every other American who has paid into Social Security. For years, we have worked together to build bipartisan support for this effort and urge House leadership to take real action to right this wrong. As these efforts have stalled, we are using every tool at our disposal to finally get this done.”
Spanberger’s and Graves’ bill is not the only piece of legislation aimed at reforming how ex-government workers who spent some time in the private sector receive Social Security benefits. The Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act (H.R. 5342), introduced by Reps. Jody Arrington, R-Texas, and Vincente Gonzalez, D-Texas, would replace the windfall elimination provision with a new formula for calculating the Social Security benefits of those who split their career between the private and public sectors. The measure has 34 other cosponsors, all Republicans.
In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $0.47 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective September 27, 2024.
“Our union-won COLAs prove invaluable to ourselves and our families. Few workers have any protection against rising prices, and today a full-time regular postal employee is making $6,300 more a year under our current contract thanks to our COLA,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We will continue to fight to maintain full COLA provisions during contract negotiations.”
The increase is the result of a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). It will appear in paychecks dated September 27, 2024 (Pay Period 20-2024). The value of the COLA for full-time employees in each step and grade will increase by $998.00 annually, and the hourly rates for part-time employees will be adjusted accordingly.
The COLAs are in addition to general wage increases. This is the sixth and final cost-of-living increase under the 2021 contract. The first increase, effective in February 2022, amounted to $0.63 per hour or $1,310.00 annually. The second, effective in August 2022 was $1.18 per hour or $2,455.00 annually. The third, effective in March 2023, was $0.10 per hour, or $208.00 annually. The fourth, effective in August 2023, was 0.48 per hour, or $998.00 annually. The fifth, effective March 9, 2024, was 0.17 per hour, or $354.00 annually. The total cumulative COLAs received during the 2021-2024 National Agreement is $3.03 per hour, or $6,302.00 annually.
In light of the fact that Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, they have received several additional increases beyond the general wage increases for all employees in the APWU bargaining unit under the 2021 contract. COLAs are added to the base pay schedule, so PSEs will recoup these increases when they convert to career status.
Rising inflation underscores the importance of our negotiated Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) within our union contract, made possible by the strength of our membership. In our 2021-2024 contract, we fought to keep twice-a-year COLAs, our best protection against inflation. Postal workers are some of the few U.S. workers who receive COLA increases. Even in the postal world, we are the only postal union that has maintained full COLA in our union contract.
Tell Congress to Pass the Social Security Fairness Act, NOW!
As we celebrate our nation this summer, what could be better than honoring and respecting our public service workers – postal workers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, foreign pension recipients, and many more – who have tirelessly fought to be free from unjust penalties? As we have done in past years, retirees recognize the anniversaries of Social Security signed into law in August 1935 and Medicare, which was signed into law in July 1965. For 48 years, any retiree paying into Social Security reaped fair and equitable benefits from Social Security. Unfortunately, over the last 40 years, millions of retirees no longer celebrate the anniversary of Social Security because Congress enacted the Government Pension Offset (GPO) in 1977, and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) in 1983. The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for workers that pay into the Social Security system, but who also worked additional job(s) that did not pay into Social Security. The GPO reduces Social Security benefits to spouses or widows by two-thirds if they receive a retirement or disability pension based on other employment – such as the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), state pensions, or local pensions – that did not pay into the Social Security system. The WEP and the GPO has overwhelmingly affected public employees who served our nation, kept us safe and secure, educated our children, and kept our government running at the local, state, and federal levels. Tell Congress to Pass the Social Security Fairness Act, NOW! The WEP unfairly cuts the earned benefits of public service workers and foreign pensioners, and the GPO reduces or denies spousal and survivor benefits. They will not reap the full Social Security benefits they are paying for now, as employees. They contributed to the Social Security system at the same rate as other employees who contribute to Social Security, yet they are denied an equitable benefit for those contributions. They qualified for Social Security benefits just as other citizens have, and they should not be penalized because they chose to serve our community through public service. We are still waiting for Congress to enact the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R.82 and S.597) legislation which, if passed, would repeal the WEP and the GPO and provide a fair return on their investment in the Social Security system. Those CSRS annuitants as well as many local and state government annuitants, such as teachers, firefights, and the police cannot relax and enjoy their retirement when they know that they are being denied the full Social Security benefits that they should receive. Now is the time for Congress to act. The House Ways and Means Committee and Subcommittee on Social Security have acknowledged that the penalties imposed by the WEP and GPO are disproportionate and fundamentally unfair. Congress can move these bills to the floor and pass them. With 322 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 59 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate, our elected officials have spoken for their constituents. Now it is time for the Congressional leadership to rectify these discriminatory policies and advance H.R. 82 & S.597 to a successful conclusion. We must put the pressure on Congress by writing letters, calling and sending them emails asking them to cosponsor and vote for the Social Security Fairness Act. To contact your representatives, call 1-202-224-3121 or use the APWU Legislative Hotline at 1-844-402-1001 to remind your Congressional Representatives that while Social Security celebrates its 89th anniversary in August 2024 .
The APWU has never stopped fighting to pass the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82, S. 597). This bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which are parts of Social Security law that unfairly reduce, or sometimes eliminate, Social Security benefits for millions of federal annuitants. The GPO and WEP penalize CSRS retirees that meet the requirements for Social Security benefits and have paid their fair share into the program.
To address this inequity, 324 members of the House and 61 members of the Senate from both parties now support this legislation. With this much bipartisan support, our next step is to back a discharge petition. A discharge petition is a process to bring any bill sitting in committee to the House floor for a vote as long as at least 218 members of Congress sign the petition. In this instance, a successful discharge petition would bypass both the Speaker of the House and committee to bring H.R.82 to the House floor for an up or down vote before we run out of time this Congress.
Over the last few years we have been strongly advocating for this bill, and the time is now to get the Social Security Fairness Act over the finish line. The APWU calls on all members of Congress in the House to not only cosponsor H.R. 82, but to support a discharge petition!
Enrollees whose current FEHB plan is not in the PSHB may choose to enroll in a new plan in this fall’s open season for 2025 coverage. If they make no choice, they will be enrolled by default. Image: The Image Party/Shutterstock.com
OPM has issued guidance on automatic enrollment in the Postal Service Health Benefits program for 2025 if U.S. Postal Service employees and retirees currently covered by the FEHB do not specifically elect an insurance plan in that new program during the open season this fall.
Guidance recently posted by OPM, although dated in May, is designed to “coordinate a smooth transition” to the PSHB, which will replace the FEHB for those employees and retirees starting in January. OPM in March conditionally approved 32 carriers for the new program, well below the 158 plan choices in the FEHB.
However, among the plans are offerings from carriers that make up the large majority of FEHB enrollees—of whom the postal population constitutes about a fifth—including seven national fee-for-service plans and HMO plans available in many major city areas.
Under the 2022 law creating the PSHB, enrollees whose current FEHB plan is not in the PSHB may choose to enroll in a new plan in this fall’s open season for 2025 coverage. If they make no choice, they will be enrolled by default.
Says the guidance, “OPM will determine which of the Carrier’s FEHB and PSHB plans are equivalent, and where no equivalent PSHB plan is available, enrollees will be auto-enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan that is not a high deductible health plan and does not charge an association or membership fee, or an alternate plan, designated by OPM.”
The guidance lays out a series of steps and deadlines for carriers to follow, adding that they “are expected to end FEHB coverage effective December 31, 2024, for any PSHB enrollees whose FEHB coverage was not terminated during auto-enrollment.”
The APWU is urging union members to refrain from participating in the USPS management’s Postal Pulse survey. Negotiations for a new union contract began June 25, and any information you give them can be used in retaliation to hurt us during negotiations and arbitration.
Regardless of pressure from supervisors or managers, letter correspondence, excessive emails, or other tactics, employees are not required to participate in this survey. APWU urges you to not participate in the Postal Pulse.
The U.S. Postal Service’s regulator is calling on the mailing agency to pause all of the reform efforts it is currently undertaking, marking the first time it has formally issued such a recommendation and yet another escalation in the feud between the two entities.
The Postal Regulatory Commission expressed concern that postal management is moving forward with its plan to many aspects of its plan to consolidate mail sorting and processing despite the difficulties it has experienced rolling out those changes to date. It said the network changes should not continue until USPS can further study the impacts of the efforts. While the suggestions to not carry any obligation for the Postal Service, they continue the pressure Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has faced as he continues to implement his vision to overhaul the agency.
DeJoy announced earlier this year he would pause the moving of mail processing facilities until at least 2025, which followed bipartisan blowback from lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. He is proceeding with the establishment of some of his new regional processing centers and the “sorting and delivery centers” where letter carriers will report to pick up the mail each day, however, leading to PRC’s recommendation. DeJoy is overseeing the changes as part of his 10-year Delivering for America plan to improve USPS operations
In an analysis of the Postal Service’s fiscal 2023 performance and its fiscal 2024 plan, PRC said the agency should “pause other DFA plan initiatives in addition to moving mail processing facilities, so that it can conduct a comprehensive study of the DFA plan’s potential impacts on service performance.”
The commission made its recommendation after finding in the report that USPS in fiscal 2023 missed most of its goals for high-quality service performance; three of its eight goals related to customer service; and all of its goals related to maintaining a safe workplace, engaged workforce and financially healthy organization.
DeJoy and PRC have been at odds for years, as the postmaster general has accused the regulators—and other stakeholders—of standing in the way of essential steps he must take to save the agency from insolvency. The new recommendation, however, marks the first time PRC has called for a pause to DeJoy’s signature plan. It follows the introduction of bipartisan bills that would restrict the Postal Service from carrying out its changes.
In a recently introduced fiscal 2025 spending bill, House Republicans said they were “deeply concerned about the potential negative impacts” of DeJoy’s reforms.
PRC flagged other aspects of DeJoy’s plan, including suggesting USPS consider whether its decision in recent years to increase prices twice annually “may accelerate electronic diversion resulting in adverse volume effects.” While postal officials have repeatedly highlighted its efforts to engage with its customers and employees over its plans, the commission said it has concerns about the “limited transparency” regarding the DFA and their “effects on service performance.” PRC recently pushed back on DeJoy’s rate increase strategy, saying postal management should exercise more discretion before continuing with its approach that “may be unprecedented in the history of the Postal Service.”
Many lawmakers and stakeholders across the postal community are imploring PRC to go further, calling for it to issue an “advisory opinion” on the totality of DeJoy’s DFA plan.
Large-scale mailers and others that interact with the Postal Service regularly are hopeful an advisory opinion—while not enforceable—would provide a third-party assessment of the agency’s plans, evaluate its assumptions and potentially offer additional fodder to motivate either the USPS board of governors or Congress to intervene.
FROM CHARLIE CASH. A.P.W.U. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR
First, the postal service is at it again with their postal pulse. However, some things have changed this year.
A new company is conducting the survey—Perceptyx—instead of Gallop
There is now a “5-point” scale (Strongly agree to Strongly Disagree)
Questions have been added and others “refreshed”. The questions added and the “refreshed” ones are in the attachment.
There will be no more paper surveys sent to employee homes. They claim most participation is electronic. They are still sending paper surveys to the work locations.
Just some personal comments—they have questions about the Delivering for America plan and some questions about reporting safety issues and such. As tempting as it might be for employees to let them know their thoughts. The APWU is still the representative of the employees and we have told management how the unit feels on these issues. Also, I don’t think it is a coincidence that this survey will be completed and tallied while we are in negotiations. I don’t want it used against it. Again, the APWU is opposed to management conducted surveys of the bargaining units and urge all employees not to participate.
Second, in the Postal Services continuing efforts to secure the liteblue and employee self-service apps, they are discontinuing one of the options to receive the multi-factor authentication code needed to login. Sending a code via email has been identified as have security vulnerabilities. As such, the use of email to send verification codes is being discontinued. However, the other methods remain. Those include receiving the code via text on the registered phone number, a call on the registered phone number, or by the random generated codes through Google Authenticator or Okta Verify. I personally use Google Authenticator and find it to be fairly easy to use.
As a reminder, if anyone is still having serious login issues with liteblue, please contact Lee Branca at lbranca@apwu.org. This is for the most serious issues when all attempts to correct through the IT Helpdesk, HRSSC, etc. have been exhausted. We will need the employee’s name, EIN, contact email and phone number, and a very detailed description of the login problem.
Thank-you,
Charlie Cash
Industrial Relations Director
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO
202-842-4273
For Leave Year 2025 (begins Jan. 11, 2025 and ends Jan. 9, 2026), APWU-represented employees aforementioned are entitled to carryover a maximum of 520 hours of earned annual leave. Employees who meet the exchange requirements may continue to exchange up to 80 hours of annual leave prior to the beginning of Leave Year 2025.
The U.S. Postal Service has few processes in place to determine its law enforcement needs, according to a new audit, leaving the mailing agency potentially ill-equipped to manage a surge in crimes aimed at its staff.
Serious crimes, including robberies and assaults, on letter carriers and other postal workers have surged in recent years, with incidents doubling since 2019. Most of that was driven by robberies outside of USPS property, the Government Accountability Office found, and thieves are increasingly using firearms to take universal keys from letter carriers.
The spike has elicited outcry from employee groups and lawmakers, as well as new policies from postal management. USPS has hardened many of its blue collection boxes to make them harder to break into and is replacing tens of thousands of the universal "arrow keys'' with an electronic alternative. Postal management also increased its rewards for those who help convict mail thieves, offering up to $250,000 payouts.
Despite those efforts, GAO faulted USPS and its Postal Inspection Service for failing to maintain formal processes or documentation on its decision-making over how many law enforcement personnel to deploy and where to send them. The inspector in charge in each division conducts a review annually to determine workforce needs, GAO said, examining staffing trends and complaint data. There are few specifics on how that process should occur, however, and those supervisors do not document their approaches.
The auditors noted USPS and PIS leadership have no way to determine whether division leaders are applying consistent standards as they review their needs.
MEDICARE INTEGRATION The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PSRA) was signed into law in April 2022. Since then, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in conjunction with the Postal Service, has been working to implement a new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, as required under the new law. PSHB is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and will be administered by OPM. Coverage under the PSHB Program will be effective January 1, 2025. We will update this page with information and important links about the PSHB program as they are created. Watch this video for an introduction to PSHB and Medicare. It provides background on the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PSRA), which created the PSHB Program, a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. It also covers how the PSHB Program integrates with Medicare Part B, and how to enroll through both open season and the one-time PSHB Special Enrollment Period (SEP). For the full five-part educational video series, please visit KeepingPosted.org. The USPS Benefits and Wellness team will hold Lunch and Learn Seminars about the PSHB Program every other Thursday through December. View the calendar HERE! The seminars will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern, via Zoom and using passcode 314858 (Webinar ID: 161 422 7062), and from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern, via Zoom and using passcode 366159 (Webinar ID: 160 320 9569). Any Questions or Concerns? Contact USPS: Call the PSHB Help Line at 1-833-712-7742 Annuitants visit keepingposted.org Employees visit myhr.usps.gov Email retirementbenefits@usps.gov or PostalRetireeHealthBenefits@opm.gov Text âPSHBPâ to 39369
Problem Solvers Caucus throws its weight behind an effort to kill the windfall elimination provision
Some lawmakers have spent years garnering support to repeal a controversial tax rule that cuts Social Security benefits for some public servants.The years-long effort to repeal a pair of controversial tax rules that negatively impact some federal workers’ retirement income got a boost Thursday in the form of the formal endorsement of the House Problem Solvers Caucus.
The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), introduced last April by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garrett Graves, R-La., would repeal Social Security’s windfall elimination provision and government pension offset.
The windfall elimination provision reduces Social Security benefits for retired federal, state and local government employees who worked in both in the private sector and at a government job where Social Security is not intended as an element of their retirement income, such as the Civil Service Retirement System. The government pension offset reduces spousal and survivor Social Security benefits if the beneficiary is also a government employee.
“All Virginians and Americans across our country who dedicated much of their careers to public service deserve the Social Security benefits they have paid into throughout their careers,” Spanberger said in a statement. But right now, millions of Americans are being denied their full benefits due to the WEP and the GPO—two provisions which unfairly reduce public servants’ benefits. After hearing for years from police officers, firefighters, educators, federal employees and postal workers, I’ve been proud to lead the Social Security Fairness Act to make sure no American is penalized for their public service.”
Despite years of growing bipartisan support, Spanberger’s measure has never made it to the House floor for a vote. The measure now has 320 cosponsors, including 112 Republicans and most members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
“All federal workers, including police officers, firefighters and teachers, deserve their full Social Security benefits,” said caucus co-chairman Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. “As co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and a cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act, I am pleased our caucus has endorsed this bipartisan legislation that would give millions of these workers the benefits they rightfully accrued during their years of service to the federal government.”
Despite its broad support, some in Congress back a different bill: the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act (H.R. 5342). Introduced by Reps. Jody Arrington, R-Texas, and Vincente Gonzalez, D-Texas, the measure replaces the windfall elimination provision creating a new formula for calculating the Social Security benefits of someone who split their career between private sector and pension-covered public sector work. As of Thursday, that measure had 36 cosponsors, mostly conservative Republicans in the House.
Fire Donald Trump's handpicked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy
To: President Biden
From: Ron Suslak
DeJoy has spent his time as Postmaster General trying to GUT the USPS by hiking postage prices, slowing down first-class mail delivery, and more.
President Biden must nominate two new members to the USPS Board of Governors needed to fire Louis DeJoy and expand postal services.
If you’ve noticed that your mail is taking longer and longer to arrive, you’re not alone – and under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s leadership, things will likely only get worse.
Why? Because of DeJoy's 10-year plan to further slow down mail delivery, eliminate thousands of jobs, and raise postage prices – which is already impacting voters, families, and small businesses across the country.
And what’s more, DeJoy has a history of obstructing voting by mail – something we especially can’t allow in an election year. That’s why we need your help calling on President Biden to fill vacancies on the USPS Board of Governors and hold Louis DeJoy accountable.
We must make sure President Biden knows that voters like us are outraged by DeJoy’s attacks on the Postal Service and vote by mail. Add your name to join the nationwide outcry.
In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $0.17 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective March 9, 2024.
HAS BEEN REMOVED. THE NATIONAL HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED NOR HAS IT BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THEM
WE WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE
Union Family,
On January 30, 2024, it appears the Postal Service announced they had established a toll free number employees can call to learn what steps to take regarding harassment. The announcement was shared in a link article here: USPS has established an anti-harassment info line – USPS Employee News. The Postal Service is calling it an “anti-harassment info line.” The article states that “The Postal Service has established a toll-free phone number for employees and managers seeking guidance on what actions to take in the event of an incident of alleged harassment.”
Let me be clear, this was not discussed with the APWU in any way prior to this announcement. No discussions have taken place with the APWU and the Postal Service on this issue yet either. We just don’t know enough about it yet. In fact, my counterpart in response to my question about this line told me they were unaware this had been done.
I have submitted an information request on this line to find out just what it is, what its purpose is, who answers it, what information is collected from the employee, or how that information is used, etc.. The APWU needs to know more before we can make an informed comment to you on how to use, if you should use it, etc.. At this time, I cannot tell you whether or not you should use the phone number. Once I have more information I will put it out to the field.
Next union negotiated raises will be in paychecks dated December 8, 2023
APWU-represented career postal employees will receive a union-won general wage increase (GWI) equal to 1.3 percent of base pay, effective Nov. 18. Non-career APWU-represented employees will receive an additional 1 percent, or a 2.3 percent GWI, as they do not receive COLA.
The raise will appear in paychecks dated Dec. 8, 2023. This latest wage increase caps off two years of strong raises secured in the 2021-2024 contract and follows record-breaking cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for career employees, which totaled $2.39 per hour, or $4,971 annually. COLAs are added to the base pay schedule, so PSEs will recoup these increases when they convert to career status.
WASHINGTON—The latest steps by Trump-named Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to cut Postal Service costs by cutting service have drawn bipartisan flak from Capitol Hill and prior protests from USPS workers from Medford, Ore., to Newburgh, N.Y.
And from the Postal Rate Commission, too. DeJoy told the regulators last month his cuts are—in so many words—none of their business and to sit down and shut up. The panel, whose usual work is to consider and vote on postal rate hikes, refused. They plan to review his “reorganization.”
But then, such behavior is to be expected from DeJoy, a Republican big giver and denizen of the corporate class. Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a banker known for wrongful foreclosures during the pandemic, forced DeJoy on USPS as part of the price for sidelining right-wing attempts to privatize the U.S. mail. DeJoy’s sneered at congressional and other oversight ever since.
The latest saga has its origins in DeJoy’s ten-year plan to put the USPS on a sound financial footing. Past parts of the plan include slowing mail deliveries, closing smaller sorting centers in favor of mega-facilities, forcing workers to move or quit, and incessantly raising prices.
And, in one area where DeJoy and the nation’s postal unions agreed, both lobbied successfully for the section of a postal reform law which ended the $6 billion yearly pre-payment a prior GOP-run Congress and GOP President George W. Bush imposed on the Postal Service, to prepay future retirees’ health care costs.
Under DeJoy’s plan, the USPS was to break even this year, on paper, for the first time in at least 15 years. But DeJoy reported a $1.7 billion loss from April-June and forecast a $5.2 billion loss for fiscal 2023, which ends Sept. 30.
His latest cost-cutting move, launched last year in a test run in Georgia, closes “back office” functions in hundreds of post offices and forces Letter Carriers to drive dozens, if not hundreds, of round-trip miles to regional “Sort and Delivery Centers,” to pick up the mail they now sort in post office back rooms before heading out to deliver it.
Most individual post offices would stay open, but only to sell stamps and provide similar services. But not all: A post office in the rural Baltimore County, Md., town of Fort Howard, whose residents are mostly elderly and without cars, is scheduled to close by Sept. 30. Their postmaster told them about it. Now, residents walk to the post office—Fort Howard’s that small—to get their mail.
There’s no Letter Carrier route. They’d have to drive 14 miles roundtrip to Dundalk to get mail. They came out in 96-degree heat to sign a petition to keep the post office open, WMAR TV reported. Their congressman, Rep. Kwesi Mfume, D-Md., sought a meeting with DeJoy about it. No answer yet.
DeJoy’s also made it impossible to mail anything other than small first-class letters from the blue mailboxes on street corners. In 2020, he yanked out sorting machines for first-class flat mail. And new blue mailboxes have small letter slits at the top, not the pull-down doors able to take large flat envelopes and small packages.
As typical of a corporate chieftain, which is what DeJoy was in the private sector before becoming Postmaster General, his excuse is to cut costs and his method is to load the burden on workers. DeJoy said the move to the central sorting plants would save money and be more efficient.
Have to navigate distance
But distances to the sorting centers which Letter Carriers would have to navigate before even starting their routes would further slow down the mail. That prospect led to workers’ demonstrations in May in Medford, Ore., and elsewhere—and to separate objections from Reps. Paul Ryan, D-N.Y., and Pete Huizenga, R-Mich., whose mostly rural district includes Kalamazoo.
The Medford workers feared their jobs would be moved to Portland, 274 miles away. Kalamazoo residents fear being overwhelmed by mail trucks coming all at once to pick up pre-sorted letters from all over Southwest Michigan, Huizenga wrote DeJoy.
“Consolidating our area’s postal operations to a Sort and Delivery Center” there “threatens to disrupt the current standard of delivery experienced by Southwest Michigan residents,” Huizenga, who represents Kalamazoo and surrounding rural counties, explained.
“Mail carriers would be required to divert to this single center to pick up the mail before proceeding on their route. The workforce would be stretched thin, having to travel much farther to reach communities they serve.
“Residents, including the many older households, rely on prompt mail delivery for time-sensitive materials like medical bills and financial documents.” Besides, masses of vehicles from all over Southwest Michigan converging on one center would cause daily traffic jams, vexing residents.
Huizenga also told DeJoy local citizens and governments have been left in the dark about his plans: No timeline for back-office closures or for opening the sorting center, and no notice to local governments and citizens, much less consultation with them, as last year’s postal law mandates.
Ryan, who represents the Hudson Valley, not only wrote DeJoy, but took his protest public on May 17 in Rock Tavern, N.Y., joined by members of the Letter Carriers, the Postal Workers and the Rural Letter Carriers, three of USPS workers’ five unions. DeJoy wants to close the back-office operations in favor of a big sorting center in Newburgh, N.Y.
“Hudson Valley families deserve only the best service from their post office, but DeJoy is threatening reduced customer service, increased wait times, and post office closures,” Ryan said. “This is completely unacceptable for both postal workers and residents. I will keep fighting alongside my friends in labor to make sure every post office stays open, our postal workers are protected, and there are not any service delays.”
“The APWU is extremely concerned about the proposed transfer of the S&DC” to Newburgh, “specifically as it relates to diminished customer services, increased safety issues, and the possibility of selling and relocating post offices,” added Postal Workers Local 3722 President Diana Cline.
Specifically, a sorting center at Stewart Airport in the town of Newburgh would force Letter Carriers from counties on both banks of the Hudson River to come there to pick up their pre-sorted mail before delivering it. Those coming from the east bank would have to battle their way across the incessantly jammed Newburgh-Beacon Bridge—in morning rush hour—to get it.
Ryan said his constituents “emphatically oppose this change. Moving mail sorting away from our local post offices would surely lead to downsizing and reassignment which risks the wholesale closure of a branch. That is a disservice to Hudson Valley residents, and it is a disservice to hard-working union members across the region.
“Mail carriers from my district are also particularly concerned about the delays to service, added hours in commute time, and the destabilizing effects this plan will have,” Ryan said. It will add to carrier stress and burnout, he warned. He’s gotten no answer from DeJoy.
Greater New Jersey P&DC in Kearny to close in February
August 31, 2023
The Postal Service has announced that the Greater New Jersey P&DC in Kearny, NJ, will be closed early next year. The discontinuance is targeted for February 24, 2024.
The package volume processed in the P&DC will be moved to Jersey City’s Network Distribution Center (NDC), which will become the Regional Processing & Distribution Center (RPDC) for the region.
A town hall was conducted on August 24th with all non-bargaining employees. Impacted employees received a Specific RIF Notice dated August 29, 2023, with a RIF separation effective date of February 9, 2024.
The townhall presentation says the Greater Newark P&DC resides in a leased building, and the primary package equipment is outdated. Some equipment was damaged during the roof collapse that occurred in September 2021.
In 2022, the plant may have employed as many as 800 mail handlers, mail processing clerks, equipment operators, and other workers and supervisors
The year was 1970. Congress just increased its salary by 41%. Postal Workers were furious. Full-time Postal Workers were being hired in at $118.76 a week while those working 21 years could earn no more than $162.34 a week. These salaries qualified Postal Workers forfood stamps!!!! Postal Workers were not permitted to engage in collective bargaining and felt that benefits were poor and working conditions were unhealthy and unsafe. Moe Biller, who became the first APWU president said at the time that: “...post offices are like dungeons, dirty, stifling, too hot in the summer and too cold in winter.” At the time, Postal Workers were separated into eight (8) craft unions with no right to bargain collectively over wages and were forbidden to strike. After years of debating but not acting, the Senate in March 1970 voted a 5.4% increase for Postal Workers which was less than the rate of inflation. But the House said it would delay action on the wage increase. Again, Postal Workers were furious! On March 17, Letter Carriers defied the law in New York City, took a vote and went on strike. Clerks and other Postal Workers refused to cross the picket lines. Then, like wildfire, wildcat strikes among Postal Workers spread across the country. Within a week, over 200,000 Postal Workers from New England to California walked off the job. President Nixon vowed to “crush” the Postal Workers and called 23,000 Armed Forces personnel to NYC to process the mail without training or success. Courts were issuing injunctions and imposing fines and threatening jail time and discipline for strikers and Union leaders. But the strike continued. This strike shut down New York's financial district, it kept 9000 young men from receiving draft notices to serve in the Vietnam War, delayed tax refunds and the census. The Postal Strike of 1970 disrupted communication in the United States. And the Postal Workers defied the President of the United States who said there would be no negotiations until Postal Workers returned to work. They did not return to work. As a result, the Secretary of Labor entered into negotiations that brought the strike to an end after two weeks. And as a result of this strike, no Postal Worker was disciplined and the government agreed to a 6% wage increase retroactive to 1969 with an additional 8% with the enactment of the Postal Reorganization Act in April 1970. This Act allowed Postal Workers to reach the top of the pay scale in 8 years instead of 21 years. This Act gave Postal Workers' Unions full collective bargaining rights to negotiate wages, benefits and working conditions and significantly for Postal Workers today binding arbitration over wages and other national collective bargaining issues was included in the Act in lieu of the right to strike. And in July 1971, with this new formation of the Postal Service, five distinct unions of postal clerks, mail processors, maintenance, special delivery and motor vehicle workers merged into a new AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION. The APWU, with the merger of these crafts along with the Carriers, Mail Handlers and Rural Letter Carriers were now able to provide one strong unified voice in matters of collective bargaining negotiations and the nations political agenda regarding government , and most importantly, Postal Workers' rights.
Today, Postal Workers, probably more than any other group of organized workers, participate in the collective bargaining process by filing grievances; and they do so knowing they are well represented at every step of the grievance procedure. And any Postal Worker, reluctant to file a grievance, must look back at those Postal Workers in 1971 who:
USPS begins issuing layoff notices to some employees
The Postal Service hopes to find new jobs for those impacted, but it has not detailed the reasons for the cuts.
ERIC KATZ | JUNE 20, 2023 04:38 PM ET
POSTAL SERVICE
The U.S. Postal Service is planning layoffs in September, notifying staff earlier this month of the upcoming workforce reductions. Read More...
Spread the word APWU Folks, far and wide. We must support APWU HQ as we seek to expose the ever declining work environment in offices all across this nation.
Survey will be done via the mailbox. Check your mail often.
Dear APWU Family,
We received thousands of surveys from our members as part of the fight against the ever-increasing hostile work environments. Read More...
PRESIDENT SUSLAK'S UPDATE ON
CANADIAN
WILD FIRES
The air quality in many states on the East Coast is deteriorating rapidly due to the wildfires in Canada. We have reached out to Postal Service on the issue. I want to know what plans they have to protect all employees during this event. Once I have a response, I will share it with you. Read More...
PRESIDENT SUSLAK REPORTS ON
POSTAL SERVICES MISUSE OF
APWU COVERED EMPLOYEES
PERSONAL INFORMATION
IN FILLING OUT
POSTAL PULSE
It had been brought to our attention that the Postal Pulse survey contained Employee Identification Numbers on them. The Postal Service has admitted that this is the case and they are blaming Gallup for the error. Read More...
TO KEEP YOU UPTO DATE
ON THE LATEST NEWS ON THE
UPCOMING CHANGES IN THE
"POSTAL SERVICE HEALTH INSURANCE"
PROGRAMS.
WE WILL BR PUTTING ALL THE KNOWN INFO
IN ON PLACE. Read More...
HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE ALL A.P.W.U. MEMBERS NOW HAVE THE OPPOUNITY TO GUIDE OUR REPRESENTIVES IN DC OF WHAT WORRIES US THE MOST. YOU HAVE BEEN MAILED A A.P.W.U. SURVEY WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO COMPLETE IT AND RETURN.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS AND WANT TO JOIN IN THE SURVEY CAN CALL THE UNION OFFICE AT 718-843-8113 OR CONTACT YOUR STEWARD FOR A MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION.
PRESIDENT SUSLAK REMINDER :
Members to request a copy of their eOPFs in writing to their district Human Resource Office. If the request is made in writing, they will be requested to provide proof of identity. Read More...
I wanted to provide an update involving the various self-service applications related to HR on LiteBlue. These include the payroll direct deposit and allots as well as eOPF (electronic Official Personnel File).
As most are aware, in late 2022, some postal employees had their direct deposit and allotments misdirected to fraudulent accounts. At that time, the Postal Service shut down access to changing direct deposit and allotments. They also shut down eOPF because the Postal Service was concerned about the amount of Personal Identifiable Information (PII) that is in an eOPF. The Postal Service has since moved to Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to help with security. When MFA was instituted, the Postal Service turned the ability to change payroll direct deposits/allotments back on. However, after a few weeks, it was turned off again because another security risk was identified.
Late last week, I met with the Postal Service on the issues related to Cyber Security and where they are headed. Below is an update on what I found out.
Starting tomorrow, March 21, 2023, the Postal Service is implementing new security procedures to help with MFA and registering for MFA. Once the new MFA process are tested, the access to payroll changes will be reopened for all employees to use. It is expected to be available within the next 7-days.
eOPF is another story. At this time, eOPF is not expected to be available for up to six months. Many records have handwritten documents with social security numbers and other PII. Based on standard best practices, documents with PII should not be transmitted over the internet. The Postal Service is currently identifying documents with this type of information and redacting this information. Once completed, eOPF will be reopened.
In the meantime, employees can call HRSSC to request a copy of their eOPF. The Postal Service is currently taking the position that the first copy is free and any additional requests will be at the expense of the requester. Let me be clear, until eOPF is up and running, the APWU doesn’t agree that anyone should be charged for a copy of their personnel file. I am in continued discussions on eOPF access. I made it perfectly clear that anyone being required to pay for a copy of their OPF is unacceptable.
Until LiteBlue is fully functional, employees can call HRSSC to address their direct deposit needs. Also, they should be allowed to use a postal computer to change direct deposit if they request to do so. If management denies anyone access to a computer, please email Lee Branca at lbranca@apwu.org so Industrial Relations Department can track these issues. As soon as I have been informed that the LiteBlue direct deposit/allotments have been reopened I will share with the field.
In the meantime, the APWU encourages all employees who have not signed up for MFA do so. This is another level of security that will protect you from any bad actors on the internet. It will be required in order to access the LiteBlue self-service applications. The APWU fully supports the MFA initiative.
The APWU has filed a national dispute on those who had their direct deposits stolen. However, local action should still be taken and I have attached information I previously sent out on that issue.
The number of those who had their direct deposit stolen is less than 1% of our total membership, but an injury to one is an injury to all. The APWU will continue to pursue an appropriate remedy for those who had their direct deposits stolen.
I will provide further updates when additional information is available.
Third COLA Increase Announced
In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $0.10 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective March 11, 2023.
The increase is the result of a rise in the January Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). It will appear in paychecks dated March 31, 2023 (Pay Period 07-2023). Read More...
The Debt Ceiling & Postal Workers
January 20, 2023
No postal worker or federal retiree will see a gap or reduction in pension payments or healthcare coverage.
The Treasury Department announced on Thursday that the United States government has hit its statutory “debt limit. Read More...
Attached you will find a National Dispute that was filed on the theft of direct deposits. The APWU believes that management bears a significant responsibility for the loss of these direct deposits. We know that as early as 2013 the Postal Service was made aware of vulnerabilities in there computer systems that could lead to these types of problems. It was also brought to the attention of the Postal Service cyber team in early 2022 of the “fake” LiteBlue websites as well.
We are seeking all employees who lost pay through the theft of their direct deposit be repaid for lost monies due to these thefts. As more information comes forward on this issue, I will keep you informed.
ATTENTION ALL APWU MEMBERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has been reported to me from the field that postal employees around the country are receiving calls from someone posing as a Postal Inspector. The “inspector” is telling them their Liteblue account has been comprised and locked. Read More...
TO ALL OUR NEWLY CONVERTED PSE’S
ON BEHALF OF RON SUSLAK PRESIDENT OF THE QUEENS AREA LOCAL 1022 OF THE AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION,
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CAREER APPOINTMENT. Read More...
SPECIAL ANOUNCEMENT
WE ARE ASKING ALL QUEENS AREA LOCAL A.P.W.U.
MEMBERS TO UPDATE THEIR MEMBERSHIP PAGE TO
INCLUDE UPDATED E-MAIL AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
SO THAT WE CAN CONTACT YOU WITH THE LATEST
INFO AND ANOUNCEMENTS
ALL YOU NEED DO IS TO LOG IN AND UPDATE YOU
INFO. Read More...
QUEENS AREA LOCAL PRESIDENT ALON WITH LOCAL MEMBER NBA LIZ SWIGERT JOIN THE AMAZON UNION AT RALLY IN STATEN ISLAND ALONG WITH APWU PRESIDEN AND OTHERS ON SUNDAY APRIL 24th 2022 CLICK ON THE PHOTO NUMBER TO VIEW AND OR DOWNLOAD Read More... Download: IMG_1475.jpg
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IMG_1455.jpg
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IMG_1468.jpg
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You Have the Right to File an OWCP
Claim When Diagnosed with
COVID-19
Currently, there is a spike of COVID-19 diagnosis throughout the United States. Postal Employees are not exempt from contracting COVID-19. Following national trends, there is also a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases at the Postal Service. Read More...
WITH THE WINTER WEATHER
IT IS TIME TO UPDATE
YOU ON REQUESTING
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
ON OUR MEMBERS RESOURCES
IS A SAMPLE 3971 WHICH YOU CAN
PRINT AND FILL OUT WHEN
REQUESTING ADMINISTRATIVE
LEAVE. Read More...
Summary of the 2021-2024 Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement
December 11, 2021
The American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service have reached a tentative three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) announced APWU President and Lead Negotiator Mark Dimondstein. Read More...
If confirmed, new nominees would give White House-backed members a majority on the postal governing board.
NOVEMBER 19, 2021 01:33 PM ET
PRESIDENT BIDEN ON FRIDAY
NOMINATED
two NEW INDIVIDUALS
TO SIT ON THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE’S
GOVERNING BOARD, POTENTIALLY
GIVING THE ADMINISTRATION MUCH
GREATER INFLUENCE OVER THE
AGENCY. Read More... Download: If confirmed.docx
Regulator Blasts Postal Service for 'Unachievable" Package Slowdown Plan
USPS will also begin slowing down mail delivery this week.
The U.S. Postal Service’s regulator criticized the mailing agency’s plan to slow down package delivery, calling it overly ambitious, non-specific and of little financial benefit. Read More...
EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION WITH THE USPS
OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INQUIRING ON HOW THEY CAN PROVIDE EMPLOYEMENT AND INCOME VERIFICATION TO BANKS,LENDERS AND OTHE AGENCIES TO PROVE THEY ARE EMPLOYEES WITH THE US POSTAL SERVICE. IN ORDER TO ACCOMIDATE THESE MEMBERS WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER SOME BASIC INFO ON HOW TO OBTAIN THAT INFORMATION. Read More...
Feds get special enrollment for health care flexible spending
Federal employees can enroll, re-enroll or change their flexible spending account coverage during the month of June, as the Office of Personnel Management announced June 14 that it authorized a special enrollment period as part of provisions outlined in the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan. Read More...
2023 Scholarship Programs
APWU SCHOLARSHIPS
Read about the 2023 APWU Scholarships
The E.C. Hallbeck Memorial Scholarship will award $8000 ($2000 annually) to ten recipients (one male and one female from each of the five postal regions) to apply towards their four-year college tuition. Read More...
A.P.W.U represented postal
workers will receive general pay
increases of 1.3% effective
November 19, 2022
For the latest pay scale, see the
pay scale tab on the left side of
this web site, click on “PAY
SCALE” tab. Read More...
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RALPH DeVITO RETIRES FROM LOCAL
Executive V.P. Ralph DeVito, recenlty retired from the Queens Area Local, APWU after 33 years of service as a representative. Photo's show Ralph, President Ron Suslak, newly appointed Executive V.P. Read More...
ATTENTION A.P.W.U. RETIREES
PRESIDENT RON SUSLAK HAS MADE IT AVAILABLE FOR YOU AS A RETIRED MEMBER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR WEBSITE’S INFORMATION.
QALAPWU.COM
WE HAVE PRE-LOGGED YOU IN
IN ORDER TO LOG IN YOU WILL NEED YOUR EIN (EMPLOYEE ID NUMBER) USING THAT AS YOUR USER’S NAME AND PASSWORD. Read More...
LAABOR HISTORY---Part 2
THE STRIKE THAT STUNNED THE NATION
BIRTH OF A UNION: APWU
The year was 1970. Congress just increased its salary by 41%. Postal Workers were furious. Full-time Postal Workers were being hired in at $118.76 a week while those working 21 years could earn no more than $162.34 a week. These salaries qualified Postal Workers for food stamps. Read More...
Second COLA Increase Announced
August 10, 2022
In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $1.18 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective August 27, 2022.
The increase is the result of a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). Read More...
After Pressure, Management Sets Retroactive Pay Date!
August 5, 2022
Share this article
Last week we announced the APWU was preparing collective actions in response to the unacceptable delay in retroactive payments won in the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Read More...
OPM LOOKING INTO DENTAL AND VISION
INSURANCE FOR PSE's AND OTHER PART TIME
POSTAL EMPLOYEES
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CHECK OUR HEALTH PLAN PREMIUMS TAB ON
THE LESFT SIDE BAR. Read More...
Postal Service Blames ‘Street
Crime’ and Absenteeism for
Mail Delays
Lawmakers are looking to make it harder for the agency to slow delivery in the future, while auditor says fixing current problems will be a significant challenge.
ERIC KATZ
|
OCTOBER 15, 2021
Just weeks after the U.S. Read More...
Subject: Annual Leave Carry Over and Lump Sum Payments at Retirement
The Industrial Relations Department has been fielding multiple questions on the amount of annual leave someone would be compensated for when they retire. Attached are the two MOUs the APWU entered into with the Postal Service on annual leave during the pandemic. Read More...
Negotiations Update
August 4, 2021
With our current union contract expiring on September 20, 2021, the APWU and postal management have now been engaged in negotiations for more than five weeks. Read More...
Federal workers will pay 7.7% more towards health insurance premiums in 2024
Next year, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program will feature new coverage of anti-obesity medication, as well as expanded access to mental health, assistive reproductive technology and gender-affirming care.
Federal employees and retirees will pay an average of 7.7% more on their health care premiums in 2024, a slight decrease from last year’s biggest price hike in a decade.
The government’s share of Federal Employees Health Benefits Program premiums will increase by an average of 5%, bringing the overall increase to 5.8%, according to the Office of Personnel Management. In 2023, feds were estimated to pay an average of 8.7% more on premiums than the previous year, and the overall average premium increase of 7.2% was the highest for the nation’s largest health insurance program since 2011.
On average, federal workers enrolled in “self-only” plans will pay an additional $8.05 per biweekly pay period, while feds in “self plus one” insurance plans will pay $16.73 more next year. Federal employees enrolled in family coverage will pay an average of $21.16 per pay period in 2024.
Under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, the average premium for dental plans will increase by 1.4%, while premiums for vision coverage will increase by an average of 1.1%.
The FEHBP’s annual open season, in which federal employees can choose from a variety of national and regional insurance carriers and coverage plans, will run from Nov. 13 to Dec. 11. More federal workers will be required to select a new plan than usual this year, as the overall number of options will reduce from 271 plan choices to 159. That’s because Humana is withdrawing both from the FEHBP and from employer-sponsored insurance as a whole over the next two years.
Beginning next year, OPM has secured additional benefits for FEHBP enrollees in the form of “comprehensive” coverage of FDA-approved anti-obesity medication and improved access to mental health and substance abuse disorder services, including telehealth, at low or no cost sharing. Additionally, the program will provide stronger coverage of treatments related to assisted reproductive technology like artificial insemination, as well as gender-affirming care for transgender and other gender diverse enrollees.
And insurers will expand coverage of prenatal and postpartum care, including childbirth education classes, group prenatal care, as well as home-based health care services both during pregnancies and postpartum.
Additionally, OPM announced that it is expanding eligibility for Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts to active-duty members of the military and active guard reserve members and their 400,000 dependent family members.
QUEENS AREA LOCAL PRESIDENT
RON SUSLAK
PLAYS KEY ROLE IN AFCS AND AFCS 200
IN MAJOR
R I 399 AWARD TO KEEP JOBS FOR APWU CRAFT MEMBERS
APWU: Arbitrator Sharnoff award on AFCS Jurisdiction
Posted on February 3, 2022
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From: Vance Zimmerman Read More...
BREAKING: APWU, USPS Reach Tentative
APWU News Release – December 10, 2021
The American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service have reached a tentative three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, announced APWU President and Lead Negotiator Mark Dimondstein. Read More...
THE 2022 FEHB PREMIUMS, PLANS AND COMPERISON INFO IS NOW AVAILABLE. THEY CAN BE FOUND ON OUR
"HEALTH PLAN PREMIUMS TAB"
ON THE LEFT SIDE OF OUR WEB SITE
ALL THE INFO YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOUR OPEN SEASON DECISIONS
AT YOUR FINGER TIPS. Read More...
The main USPS/APWU agreement expires September 20. On June 25, we sit down with the highest levels USPS management to renegotiate our contract. These contract negotiations are a chance for us workers to raise our voices and weigh in on the changes that we need to see in our workplaces – and this June we’re doing just that.
But before we begin negotiations in June, we are circulating a contract survey to understand your priorities. While the APWU national negotiating team is guided by formal resolutions that are passed by various local and state organizations and are debated and voted on at our national conventions, your response to the contract survey helps our negotiations team understand your priorities and needs. Take a few minutes and add your voice to our survey today!
Open Season ends tonight—it’s your last chance to review your 2024 coverage choices.
Every employee or annuitant’s situation is different, and enrollees should be open to comparison shopping.
"One of the most valuable features of FEHB is its broad array of plan options," Read More...
Open Season benefits enrollment period ends Monday, Dec. 12
Posted on December 9, 2022
USPS employees can change their health coverage or enroll in a new plan during open season.
December 9, 2022
If you want to change your health benefits or enroll in a new plan, you must act now.
The annual open season benefits enrollment period ends Monday, Dec. 12, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Read More...
THE A.P.W.U. AND THE
USPS HAVE
AGREEDED TO EXTEND
THE ANNUAL LEAVE
CARRYOVER AND THE
BUY BACK ANNUAL
LEAVE EXCHANGE.
SEE THE FULL INFO
USING THE "LEAVE
INFO" TAB ON THE
LEFT SIDE OF THIS
PAGE. Read More...
By MICHAEL GENNARO
Editorial Intern
Office of Personnel Management Director Kiran Ahuja urged federal employees to check their finances and reassess their benefits during the upcoming federal benefits Open Season, which runs Nov. 14 through Dec. 12.
2.5% of enrolled workers changed health coverage in 2021’s Open Season, with 0. Read More...
PAY ADJUSTMENT UPDATE
OCT 11 2022
We received word back from the Postal Service today on what the pay adjustment is on the checks coming out this week (October 14, 2022). The adjustment on this check is related to employees who used leave under the Families First Coronavirus Recovery Act. Read More...
September 28, 2022
The Postal Service is offering a new commuter benefit option beginning in October.
Employees who use micromobility modes of transportation — small, lightweight electric vehicles such as e-scooters, e-bikes and e-mopeds — can use post-tax dollars to save with partner discounts. Read More...
HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES SOCIAL SECURITY LEGISLATION
You are here:
HOME
NEWS
HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES SOCIAL SECURITY…
The House Ways and Means Committee approved the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) on Sept. Read More...
UPDATE FROM Charlie Cash APWU
Subject: PSEs extra 50 cents per hour
As you are all aware, the Postal Service had failed to program the additional 50 cents per hour for the PSEs. The Postal Service had informed me that they had found the problem and that the extra 50 cents would start being paid on July 30, 2022 (pay period 17-2022). Read More...
'There Needs to Be a Reckoning': Republicans Introduce a Bill to Make Feds At-Will Employees
The legislation, along with recent talk of a renewed effort to implement Schedule F, makes clear that a “major assault” on the federal civil service is coming, regardless of who the next Republican presidential nominee will be. Read More...
The Battle for Retroactive Pay is On!
This is an important update on our retroactive pay from the 2021-24 contract and a call to action on securing your hard-earned pay at the earliest possible date.
for more info on the retro pay
see
2021 CONTRACT INFORMATION TAB ON THE LEFT. Read More...
OPM: If You Need to Travel for Medical Care, You Can Use Sick Leave
The federal government’s HR agency confirmed that federal employees may use sick leave to travel to obtain reproductive health services, although the measure falls short of employee groups’ request for paid administrative leave after abortion ruling. Read More...
PSE PAY INCREASE UPDATE!!
Word was received late Friday night that the Postal Service has identified the issue that prevented the PSEs from receiving the additional 50 cents per hour pay on June 4, 2022. Unfortunately, they are going to have to do additional programming to complete to make sure they 50 cents is implemented. Read More...
USPS: First Annual Virtual Benefits and Retirement Fair – June 28, 29, 30
Please mark your calendars and join us for Investing in You 2022: Benefits, Retirement, and More. This first annual benefits fair hosted by the USPS® Benefits and Wellness team provides Postal Service™ employees with the opportunity to learn about all their available benefits. Read More...
JUST SAY NO !!!!!!
Starting June 14 through July 15 2022, the USPS is pushing its annual Postal Pulse Survey. The APWU leadership urges you to not let the Postal Service take your Pulse! Management surveys have been used as a weapon against the APWU during contract negotiations while not producing any real positive change for employees at the Postal Service. Read More...
MORE GOOD NEWS FROM YOUR
POSTMASTER GENERAL
NOT!
USPS Plans to Close More Facilities and Repurpose Those That Remain
As Louis DeJoy seeks to implement his vision, new confirmed board members could tip the scales for USPS governance.
ERIC KATZ
|
MAY 20, 2022
The U.S. Read More...
OPM is adding additional security to your Services Online account with login.gov
Beginning on and after May 26th, 2022, you will notice a new process for signing into Services Online to better protect your personal information. To log in, you will be prompted to create a new username and password with login.gov. Read More...
“Medicare and FEHB,”
webinar to be held
Tuesday, May 3"
April 27, 2022
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn about the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Medicare.
The session, “Medicare and FEHB,” will be held Tuesday, May 3, at noon EDT. Read More...
APWU President Mark Dimondstein called me last night concerning a rally in support of Amazon workers at the LDJ5 Amazon warehouse on Staten Island. Read More...
For all APWU represented employees, in keeping with the intent of the AVP letter on liberal scheduling and leave, and the recent MOUs regarding Dependent Care Leave and noncareer leave, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, please implement the following guidance: ï?· Career, or non-career employees who are serving in their first 90 work days or 120 calendar days (for PSEs)
will not have absences taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic cited or considered for disciplinary action or involuntary separation.
Read More...
It’s official.
Just moments ago, President Biden signed the Postal Service Reform Act into law.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again.
This is the greatest legislative victory for postal workers in a generation – and it’s all because of you.
“This is a historic achievement for our union,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. Read More...
Implementation Dates for Pay Increases in New Contract Confirmed
o Effective: November 20, 2021
o Scheduled Implementation: June 4, 2022 (Pay Period 13-2022) o Pay Check Date June 24, 2022
1. Read More...
Government Executive
Postal Reform Will Finally Become Law After Senate Passes Long-Sought After Legislation
By Eric Katz
March 8, 2022
The Senate on Tuesday by a 79-19 vote passed a sweeping reform of the U.S. Read More...
MORE INFO ON THE 2021 CONTRACT INFO TAB ON THE LEFT
The main Collective Bargaining Agreement (union contract) between the APWU and the USPS has been overwhelmingly ratified by the members. The contract was signed by APWU President Mark Dimondstein and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on February 28, 2022.
Ninety-Four percent (94%) of the members who voted, voted “Yes. Read More...
Tentative Contract Agreement Ratification Ballot Count Extended:
In response to reports received of mail delivery delays in multiple cities and the fact Monday is a holiday, the American Arbitration Association (AAA), will begin the ballot count
under the supervision of the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Sub-Committee, on Wednesday, February 23rd, 9:00am ET and conclude on Monday, February 28th , 5:00pm ET.
All ballot(s) received during this time period will be counted.
Hopefully this gives everyone the opportunity to receive, complete and return their ballot(s).
Read More...
FIRST COLA INCREASE TO BE $1,310.00
IF YOU VOTE YES ON CONTRACT RATIFICATION!
On February 10, 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for the month of January 2022. January was the final month of the six?month measuring period used for determining the cost of living allowance (COLA) for those covered by the National Agreement. Read More...
APWU REACHES SETTLEMENT ON SAFETY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
On January 28, 2022, the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO reached a settlement agreement with the Postal Service on the Safety Ambassador Program. The case was scheduled to be heard in national arbitration on February 3rd and 4th. However, with the settlement, the hearings were cancelled. Read More...
INTERESTED IN A NEW CAREER
OPPOUNITY
THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS
OPENING FOR
CUSTODIANS AND DATA
COLLECTION CLERKS
CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO
BE PUT ON THE LIST
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Data Collection In Service
Register__ 20221.pdf
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. Read More...
Free college for union members and their families
UNION PLUS FREE COLLEGE BENEFIT
The Union Plus Free College Benefit makes it possible for you and your family members to earn a certificate, an associate degree, and your bachelor's degree, completely online – for FREE.
CLICK ON THE SCHOLARSHIP TAB ON THE LEFT Read More...
NEWS & INFORMATION
Take action: CALL your representative to include H.R. 82 in year-end omnibus package
Congress is in the final stages of negotiating a year end omnibus Fiscal Year 2022 spending package. Please contact your representative and ask them to include the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) in this package. Read More...
ATTENTION!!
ATTENTION!!!
WE NOW HAVE THE FULL TENATIVE
AGREEMENT AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO READ AND
HELP YOU MAKE YOUR VOTING DECISION ON THE
NEW 3 YEAR COLLECTIVE BARGINING
AGREEMENT
JUST CLICK ON THE 2021 CONTRACT
INFORMATION TAB
ON THE LEFT. Read More...
UPDATE !!!!!!! UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LEAD CLERKS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT AND TRAINING AS RESULT OF GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT
Read More...
MEETING NOTICE
THE FEBRUARY 2023
MONTHLY MEETING OF THE
QUEENS AREA LOCAL, A.P.W.U.
WILL TAKE PLACE ON
MONDAY FEBRUARY 27th 2023
AT 9:00
PRECEDING THE MEETING
WILL BE THE INSTULATION
OF OFFICERS
BY OUR VERY OWN A.P.W.U. Read More...
CSRS AND SS recipients
will get an 8.7% boost in
their benefits in 2023.
That’s a historic increase
and welcome news for
American retirees and
o.thers - but it’s tempered
by the fact that it’s fueled
by record high inflation
that’s raised the cost of
everyday living. Read More...
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