APWU Retirees Still Fighting for Justice

In this new year, my wish for each of you is good health and happiness! Thank you, APWU family, for continuing to support me and the five Retiree National Convention Delegates: Cynthia A. Nesmith (Eastern Region), Leona Draper (Northeast Region), Patricia A. McGriff (Southern Region), Dr. Patricia A. Williams (Western Region), and Patrick A. Chornoby (Central Region).

I extend congratulations and well wishes in their retirement to Mark Dimonstein, who served as APWU national president for the past 12 years, and Paul Browning, Central Region Retiree Delegate for the past nine years. These men are among the many great unionists who help to sustain this union; without their work and commitment, the APWU might not still be here.

Your Union Dues Stop When You Retire from the Postal Service.

You can join the APWU Retirees Department several ways after you are off the USPS rolls. Join online in the “Members Only” section of apwu.org; download a Retiree Application from the Retirees Department webpage; or complete and return by mail the Retiree Application. Every pay period, as APWU members retire from the USPS, we automatically mail Retiree Applications to new retirees. Retiree dues are just $3 monthly, deducted directly from your annuity by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). As a local, state, national officer, or shop steward – after you retire from the Postal Service, you must continue membership in the APWU as a full dues-paying member. Do this by joining the Retirees Department as a full dues’ retiree member, select Option 2 on the Retirees Application. For full dues retiree members, there are three parts to your dues, which are the national dues, the local dues, and the retiree dues. The APWU Secretary-Treasurer’s office will send you an invoice for your national dues. Your local treasurer or financial secretary will invoice you for your local dues. If you have questions about continuing your APWU membership after you retire, contact the Retirees Department by email at: Retiree2@apwu.org,  or call the Retirees Department at 202-842-8584.

Prepare for Retirement, Now!

Whether your retirement is five, 10, 20, or 30 years down the road, there are questions you need answered, now. What is your retirement system: the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset? Are you one of the handful of employees in CSRS, meaning you already have over 43 years of service and will receive a pension of 80%? Do you know how your federal pension is calculated? How does your sick leave and annual leave figure into the retirement equation? Do you understand what role Social Security plays in your retirement income? What about the Thrift Savings Plans (TSP)? Are you maximizing your contributions, and why does management pay a share? These questions are answered in the retirement planning seminars conducted by the APWU Retirees Department. Our APWU Retirement counselor/instructors are very knowledgeable and experienced. We conduct retirement planning seminars on Zoom at least quarterly. Check the apwu.org/events page for dates and times. We also conduct in-person seminars at local, state, and national levels. Contact us at RetireeQandA@apwu.org if you have questions.

Protect Your Benefits, Now!

This year is no different than last year. Our retirement benefits must be protected from the whims and plots of politicians and think tanks.

Currently, most postal workers pay into three retirement pots: FERS pension, Social Security, and TSP. Postal workers and postal retirees paid Social Security. For many Americans, Social Security is the only source of retirement income.

The APWU Legislative and Political Department will continue to identify legislative priorities to protect and improve our retirement benefits. We must remain vigilant and be ready to act when legislative or executive proposals by Congress or the White House adversely affect our benefits.