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What's Ahead for Postal Reform
Burrus Update #08-2004, May 26, 2004
As previously reported, the House Government Reform Committee has approved a postal reform bill. The next step would be a vote by the full House of Representatives. The timing of that vote is uncertain, but it is expected to take place sometime during the month of July.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Reform Committee is expected to consider a postal reform bill on June 2. The bill, jointly introduced by Chairperson Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), differs from the House bill in ways that are of major concern.
In the area of worksharing discounts, the Senate version would permit the Postal Service and major mailers to reach agreement on postage rates that violate the standard of "uniform rates." The language in the Senate bill would permit excessive postage discounts that are currently in place to continue - and even expand.
This is unacceptable to the APWU and we will fight for the adoption of the House version.
The Senate bill also includes significant changes to the rights of postal workers when they are injured on the job. It would reduce an injured worker's compensation when the employee reached retirement eligibility to 50 percent of monthly pay. This is in comparison to the current rate, which is 66 percent of pay, or 75 percent if the worker has dependents.
In addition, the Senate bill would eliminate "continuation of pay" for the first three days of temporary disability. Employees injured in the performance of their duties would be forced to pay for their injuries themselves by using leave or LWOP.
These changes would legalize the application of different standards for postal employees - they would be the only federal employees penalized in this manner for suffering on-the-job injuries. The concern we felt over double standards during the anthrax attack of 2001 would become engrained in the law. In the future, one standard would apply to postal employees, while another would cover all other federal employees, including members of Congress and their staffs.
A coalition of 156 business, non-profit organizations and several postal unions and postal management associations have endorsed the efforts of Senators Collins and Carper that have led to these proposals. APWU vigorously opposes these provisions and we will make our voices heard in the debate.
William Burrus
President
