e-Team Report, May 17, 2013
Legislative & Political Director Myke Reid Announces Retirement, Gary Kloepfer Accepts Director Position
This week Myke Reid announced his retirement from APWU after nearly three decades of service advocating on behalf of federal and postal workers. “Myke is widely respected in the halls of Congress and throughout the APWU,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “He has made great contributions to our struggle and he will be missed.” At the recommendation of President Guffey, Maintenance Craft Assistant Director Gary Kloepfer assumed the Legislative and Political Director position following unanimous approval by the National Executive Board. “Gary has been a very effective advocate for the Maintenance Craft,” Guffey said. “I am pleased that he has accepted this important assignment.”
For more on changes at APWU’s Legislative and Political Department, please click here.
Postal Reform Bills Gain Co-Sponsors, More Support Needed
The Postal Service Protection Act (S. 316/H.R. 630) continues to gain co-sponsors in Congress. This week Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and six House members added their names to the list of supporters of the legislation. The Postal Service Protection Act would repeal the pre-funding mandate, which continues to decimate postal finances; allows the USPS to recover FERS and CSRS overpayments, and reinstates delivery standards, which would help keep mail processing facilities open.
While leaders in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security work to form their own postal bill, it is imperative that advocates for a robust, thriving Postal Service continue to contact their members of Congress to urge support for reform legislation that will address USPS’s financial crisis without penalizing postal employees and the American public.
One week left for ‘We the People’ Petition to White House
Last month Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) launched a petition to the White House asking for the Administration’s support of the Postal Service and postal jobs. To receive an official response from the White House, the petition must garner 100,000 signatures. Next Friday, May 24th is the last day signatures to the petition can be submitted. Currently, the petition has 25,117 signatures.
To sign the petition or to encourage others to sign, please click here.