Stop H.R. 2309, Vote NO!

A bill that would destroy the Postal Service — and our jobs — could be voted on in the House of Representatives in July, and APWU President Cliff Guffey is calling on union members to send their legislators a message: Vote NO on H.R. 2309!

To help APWU members send the message to Congress, the union will be mailing a brochure to the homes of union members in the coming days. President Guffey is asking all recipients to sign the postcard included in the brochure, affix a stamp, and mail the card to their U.S. representatives.

“GOP House leaders are trying to round up support for the bill,” Guffey said, “so we must take action immediately.

“Please ask your House member to oppose H.R. 2309 — or any similar bill — and to support legislation that addresses the cause of the USPS financial crisis without slashing service and punishing workers,” he said.

H.R. 2309 is the bill introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) that would require the USPS to make $3 billion worth of cuts in post offices and mail processing facilities within two years.

The legislation also would prohibit postal unions and management from negotiating restrictions on layoffs, and it would empower an appointed board to reject negotiated labor contracts it considers too costly.

But the bill would do nothing to correct the cause of the Postal Service’s financial crisis: the 2006 congressional mandate that requires the USPS to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees.

“H.R. 2309 would bleed the USPS of assets and make it ripe for privatization,” Guffey said. “It is essential that postal workers tell our U.S. representatives to defeat H.R. 2309. Our jobs, pay, benefits and bargaining rights are at stake!” 

H.R. 2309 is the bill introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) that would require the USPS to make $3 billion worth of cuts in post offices and mail processing facilities within two years.

Ask your U.S. representative to:

 Vote NO on HR. 2309

 Address postal reform now, 
  but use the Senate Bill (S. 1789) 
  as a starting point.

Call the Capitol switchboard 
at 202-225-3121 or click here to send a message online. 

For additional postcards, contact the APWU Communications Department.

Write: APWU Communications Department,
         1300 L Street NW, Washington DC 20005 
Call:  202-842-4250 
e-Mail: communications@apwu.org 

Be sure to include your name, local and the number of cards you are requesting.

APWU Seeks to Stop July 1 Consolidations

The APWU has filed a complaint with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) seeking to stop the USPS from implementing Phase 1 of its network consolidation plan on July 1, as planned. The Postal Service cannot implement the changes without first receiving an advisory opinion from the PRC, the complaint asserts.

Phase 1 of the plan calls for the consolidation of 48 Processing and Distribution Centers by the end of August and for another 92 plants to be consolidated or closed in 2013. Phase 2 calls for an additional 89 plants to be consolidated by the end of 2014, for a total of 229.

The PRC was considering an earlier version of the plan when the USPS announced a revised timetable, changes to plans for service standards reductions, and revised projections for savings. Federal law requires the USPS to request an advisory opinion from the commission when it seeks to make nationwide changes in service, but the agency announced it would proceed with its latest plan on July 1.

Noting that “the Postal Service case is extremely lengthy, technical and complex,” the APWU complaint alleges that the USPS failed to submit the plan to the PRC far enough in advance of the July 1 implementation date.

The complaint also contends that the service cuts scheduled for July 1 are unnecessary, unsupported by the evidence, and in violation of federal law that establishes criteria for service.