e-Team Report, March 16, 2012

APWU Airs New Round of Television Ads

The APWU rolled out a new series of ads highlighting the importance of the Postal Service to our country and economy. These ads show that the U.S. depends on the Postal Service as a staple that binds our communities together. These ads address some of the harsh effects that communities nationwide will feel if post offices and processing facilities are shuttered. Click here to view the ads on the union's Web site.

Right now, senators are making decision about what amendments will be included in pending postal reform legislation. What can you do to help make sure your voice as a postal worker is heard? Reach out to your senators and ask them to support several amendments to the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789).

To send your senators a quick message, click here.

Please urge your senators to support amendments to S.1789 that would:

• Provide adequate relief from the retiree healthcare prefunding requirement.
• Set strict service standards. (The Postal Service is planning to degrade delivery standards in order to eliminate more than half of all mail processing facilities.)
• Allow the USPS to recover overpayments the Postal Service made to its retiree pension funds.
• Establish new ways to generate revenue, such as providing notary services, issuing licenses, contracting with state and local agencies to provide services, and allowing the USPS to offer services that mail systems in many other countries provide, such as digital services.
• Prevent the closing of small post offices by giving the Postal Regulatory Commission binding authority to prevent closures based on the effect on the community and employees.
• Protect six-day delivery.
• Eliminate the provision that would drastically reduce the compensation of workers who are injured on duty once they reach retirement age.
• Repeal the provision that would require arbitrators in postal contract negotiations to consider the financial health of the USPS. (Arbitrators routinely do so. The requirement is an attempt to skew contract negotiations in favor of management.)

After you send a message to your senators, make sure you also take a minute to call their offices and tell them to amend S. 1789.

You can reach your senators by calling the Capitol Hill swithcboard at 202-224-3121.

Transportation in the House

While a controversial House of Representatives transportation bill has so far failed to pass through the chamber, the Senate recently passed its version of the bill by a 74-22 vote. Now, the future of the transportation package rests on whether the House will move forward with their version. To read more about what the Washington Post writes about the inaction in the House, click here.

It is still crucial that your member of the House hears from you. After H.R. 3813 was reported from committee, the House Rules Committee merged the bill with H.R. 7, the American Energy and infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012. Both bills contain these troubling attacks on postal and federal workers retirements. 

Click here to take action and send a quick message to your representative. Tell them to vote no on H.R. 7 and oppose H.R. 3813! After you send a message to your representative, make sure you also take a minute to call their office and tell them to vote no on H.R. 7 and oppose H.R. 3813! You can reach your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121. To find your representative, please click here.

AFL-CIO Denounces State Voter ID Laws

With dozens of states passing strict voter identification legislation this year in the lead up to the Presidential election, the AFL-CIO has come out against these efforts to disenfranchise millions of legally registered voters. These state laws have not only required stricter identification standards for the average registered voter in their states but have also often included a parallel element that will restrict voter registration drives by organizations such as the League of Women Voters. To read more about the AFL-CIO’s stand, please click here.