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Ask the President
Question:
Has the APWU considered trying to negotiate the “drop” program? I know a lot of state workers are doing this, and it saves that state a lot of money. I think it would help the Postal Service also.
Eligible employees would retire and continue to work for five years at the present rate of pay, less the benefits they collect from retirement.
Because our workforce requires so much training, this arrangement would benefit management. It also would allow workers to put their retirement money into savings, to build a nest egg for when they really retire five years later.
Dave, Palm Beach Area Local
President Burrus:
Thank you for your inquiry to Ask the President on the subject of re-employing retired employees. This is a subject I have been pursuing for several years.
In prior discussions, postal officials took the position that retired employees returning to employment would be required to suspend their annuity.
The union disagreed with management’s analysis, and recent legislation signed by President Obama clearly permits former employees to return to employment while receiving their annuity.
I have not pursued this issue since the legislation was signed, however, because of the drop in mail volume. Until volume stabilizes, I will not pursue returning former employees to work. When the workload rebounds, I will resume discussions about returning retired employees for part-time work.
In the meantime, I suggest that retired APWU members stay abreast of our activities on this issue by joining the APWU Retirees Department. Dues are only $3 per month or $36 per year, and members receive important information about a host of issues of importance to retired postal workers.
Nov. 5, 2009
If you have a question that you would like President Burrus to respond to on this page, please write to him at askthepresident@att.net. He will periodically respond to APWU members’ questions about union matters that are of general, nationwide interest. When submitting a question, please include your name and employee ID number. If you are a retiree, please include your name and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Responses will list only your first name and local. (Names will be withheld upon request.) Note: Questions about grievances or contract interpretation must be directed to the appropriate union representative — such as your steward, local president, or national business agent. Contact information for your local union officers and the Regional Coordinator and National Business Agents who represent you is available in the Members Only section. Select “My Local and Personal Info,” then log-in and visit the links under “My Local Profile.” Information about how to reach APWU national officers, as well as their areas of responsibility, can be found on the Contact Us page. |
Recent Questions & Answers
[ 2008-9 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 ]
Why do we need casuals?
(10/13/09) The Postal Service is telling us that we have too many employees.
Why do we need casuals?
President Burrus’ Response
Rehiring Postal Retirees on a Part-Time Basis
(09/09/28)
Please give us an update on rehiring postal retirees on a part-time
basis. Is this a dead issue?
President Burrus’ Response
The Impact of Five-Day Delivery on USPS Employees
(09/02/09) ... Is it the intent of the Postal Service upon
Congressional approval for the five-day week to layoff all employees
with less than six years of continuous service?... What is the plan of
action if after this skeletal staffing is finalized, mail volume increases
as it did in 2005?...
President Burrus’ Response
The Healthcare Reform Debate
(08/05/09) Regarding healthcare reform, I am disturbed that you would
so blindly side with the president and Congress on a bill that is so
wrong for the country. Why would I want to sign on to a program or
force other Americans onto a program that gives the government control
of my healthcare?...
President Burrus’ Response
Creating a Union Pension Plan
(06/29/09) In light of the reduction in the number of
postal workers, I am requesting your staff to “explore the option” of
offering a dues payment to start a union pension plan.
President
Burrus’ Response
USPS Finances, Payroll, and H.R. 22
(06/15/09) Employees are hearing that the Postal Service will not have
sufficient funds to pay employees come September. Many of us are
worried that we will not get paid. Is the rumor true? What is the
union planning on doing to prevent this from happening?
President
Burrus’ Response
Payroll Records
(04/09/09) Did the Postal Service really give our payroll records
to the newspapers? This has many people upset.
President
Burrus’ Response
Update on "Tour Compression" Issues
(04/01/09) ... I have received a number of inquiries from local
presidents requesting an update on [tour compression issues], specifically
(1) the status of the ULP charges, (2) the status of the injunction,
(3) national-level grievances, and (4) any further discussions/negotiations
between the parties to return employees back to Tour 2.
President
Burrus’ Response
AFL-CIO and Change to Win Re-Unification
(03/26/09) I have heard rumors about the possibility of the
AFL-CIO, Change to Win, and the National Education Association merging
and forming one labor organization. As a member of the AFL-CIO board,
do you consider this a real possibility? What is your opinion?
President
Burrus’ Response
MOU on Pilot Program Amending Work Rules
(02/24/09) Please enlighten us regarding the MVS Memo that has everyone outraged.
President
Burrus’ Response
Rumors About the USPS
(01/16/09) Would you be able to address any of the rumors that are floating
around the Postal Service?
President
Burrus’ Response
More on PTF Conversions
(12/29/08) ...I would like to voice my opinion on the 2006 PTR
conversions. I read your Sept. 17, 2008 response on the 2006 PTR
conversions, and totally disagree with several of your statements.
In our facility and its stations and branches, management is abolishing
and excessing FTRs and keeping PTRs who have fewer years in... This
is just another way of downsizing, or should I say outsourcing our
jobs to the PTRs...
President
Burrus’ Response
The Postmaster General’s Pay
(12/23/08) ... It seems odd that the Postmaster General is receiving $867,459
annually in compensation... Why does the Postal Service always seem to want
cut back on the wages, compensation, etc. of the employee — not offering
VER buyouts, and just generally interrupting employees’ lifestyles
by implementing the Tour 2 initiative?...
President
Burrus’ Response
The Continuing Struggle
Against Managers' Abuses
(12/02/08) ...Employees can be threatened, mistreated and abused by managers,
whose only skill was to put on a tie that day. We (the union) can grieve it
and maybe even win some cases. Yet there is no way to stop the violation from
happening again. Without a "real" penalty (either money or management
demotion) a settlement doesn't mean much. With all the cost cuts and reduction
of hours, why can't management do something about their side?
President
Burrus’ Response
Converting PTFs in Small Offices to Full Time
(11/04/08) ...I am a PTF, and as you know, being a PTF is sometimes difficult...
We are losing clerk hours every year, and now we are facing the worst, LAYOFFS...
If a reduction-in-force (RIF) comes into play, I could be bumped by another
employee, who has more time than me... I work in a Level 18 office, and there
is no hope of ever becoming full time. Is this the end for PTFs?
President
Burrus’ Response
Eliminating Tour 2 in Mail Processing
(10/27/08) With the current financial problems, management is looking to move
mail from one installation to another, eliminate Tour 2 operations, and change
the days off of many mail processing bids.... I remember the national union
suspended Article 37, giving locals latitude to allow management to move
employees beyond two hours and to change off days without reposting the bid.
This helped greatly as employees were just moved, keeping their bid positions.
Is there any thought at the national level to doing this again?
President
Burrus’ Response
Voluntary Early Retirement Incentives
(10/21/08) You have written about union demands that the Postal
Service offer incentives to employees who are offered early-outs.
Do you expect to accomplish this within the one-year time frame (ending
June 2009) that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has given
the Postal Service for Voluntary Early Retirements (VERs)?
President
Burrus’ Response
Filling Residual Vacancies
(10/08/08) Some of the smaller locals that qualify as 200 man-years offices
are running into a problem: What happens when we have no more PTFs and no
more unassigned regulars and a job posting goes un-bid?...
President
Burrus’ Response
Making Regular, Excessing
(09/17/08) Why does the union give management ways to get around rules that
were made for us? I heard that in bigger offices, PTFs became full time,
but they are now excessed… Why do you let this happen?
President
Burrus’ Response
Memories of a First Convention
(09/03/08) As a first-time and excited delegate to the 2008
APWU National Convention in Las Vegas, I'd like to know: Do you remember
your first convention? What was it like?
President Burrus’ Response
‘Gone Postal’ Softball Team
(08/06/08) A manager at the Amarillo Processing & Distribution Center put
together a softball team a few years ago named Gone Postal. I wonder
if employees where tragedies have occurred would think it was a good name for
a softball team.
President Burrus’ Response
Privatizing Retail Operations
(06/30/08) …It seems to me that the Postal Service is
trying to force our customers to use ‘alternate access’ or ‘alternate
channels’ for their stamp and shipping needs in an effort to
reduce the Postal Service’s dependence on window clerks. Are
we going to point to our customers that a lot of these stores ship
through the Postal Service because we have the lowest rates and these
businesses have to charge enough to cover their operating expenses
in addition to paying the Postal Service the same amount the customers
would pay if they shipped through the Postal Service directly?...
President
Burrus' Response
Shaking off Negativity
(06/18/08) What do you do to shake off all the negativity you
encounter by the members? Of course, I understand the passion, but
it sometimes baffles me how people can seem so unhappy about the
good pay and benefits that the union has gotten us over the years…
President
Burrus' Response
Code of Conduct for Managers
(06/02/08) Why can’t the APWU negotiate a national agreement
on the Code of Conduct of Managers and their abuse of power against
APWU members? I work in the Palatine P&DC. In this facility a
manager feels he can yell, demean, swear, and treat employees like
they are dirt. This appears to be condoned by higher-level managers.
President
Burrus' Response
Commemorative Stamps and Rate Changes
(05/15/08) Please ask Postmaster General Potter this question: If the Postal
Service raises the price of stamps every May, it will have a negative affect
on the African-American Heritage Stamp series.... This is a disservice to
our customers. How will the Postal Service fix this?
President
Burrus' Response
APWU National Executive Board
Endorsement Of Sen. Barack Obama for President
(05/05/08) Regarding the National Executive Board’s endorsement
of Obama for president: Are a portion of my dues being used for this
endorsement? I don’t endorse Mr. Obama and I don’t want
my dues going for his benefit.
President Burrus'
Response
Clerk Jobs to the Mail Handler Craft
(04/22/08) It seems the Clerk Craft is losing a lot of newly created jobs to
the Mail Handler Craft. Do you think the new jobs are going to the Mail Handler
craft because we have provisions for penalty overtime pay and they do not?
President
Burrus' Response
Priority Scheduling for Overtime
(04/09/08) I am wondering if your answer from February 2007 still holds true
as to whether employees on the Overtime Desired List should work penalty
overtime before casuals work overtime. It is a big problem in our plant.
The casuals are getting more hours than most of the regulars on the OTDL.
Management claims this issue is being arbitrated at the moment.
President
Burrus' response
COLAs and Inflation
(03/25/08) Our COLA does not reflect the true cost of the increase in the cost
of living, or even come close to it.… Given the fact that the COLA
has been such a major part of our pay in past years, are there any plans
for APWU to seek changes in the formula?
President
Burrus' response
Residual Vacancies
(03/11/08) In Flushing we currently have 70 residual vacancies in the Clerk
Craft... Management has not hired a clerk in Flushing in more than seven
years... We cannot file "casual in lieu of" grievances, which protest
the hiring of casuals instead of career employees. I have filed a grievance
for the dues the union has lost as a result of management's failure to hire
career employees. What else can I or the national union do?
President
Burrus' response
What Workers Need and Deserve
(02/29/08) While this Web site may be helpful to the whining dues-paying members
who do nothing more than they have to, it continues to promote the very core
problems with USPS. You fight to protect those who should not be USPS employees — while
ignoring workers who think service and a work ethic are important. Get with
the real workings of USPS and maybe this union could figure out what the
workers really need and deserve!
President
Burrus' response
Modernizing the APWU
(02/13/08) At a conference in Niagara Falls NY you made many references to
the need to modernize the union. You specifically talked about the need to
communicate with the membership. Can you elaborate on the need for change
in our union?
President Burrus'
response
Assessing Postal Labor Costs
(01/29/08) Management claims that labor expenses are the “key drivers
of costs.” How much of the costs are for management?... I cannot believe
that craft employees account for 80 percent of the USPS costs and that management
salaries, transportation, equipment, and utilities only add up to 20 percent...
President
Burrus' response
The Political Endorsement Process
(01/01/08) I would like to know whether the APWU remembers NAFTA and GATT.
Does the union consider issues such as these when deciding which presidential
candidate to endorse?
President
Burrus' response
