e-Team Report, Aug. 12, 2011
Postal Service Looks to Destroy Layoff Protection in Collective Bargaining Agreements Through Legislation
This week the Postal Service announced they would like to reduce their workforce by 120,000 career positions by 2015. This number is over and above the 100,000 workers it expects to leave through attrition by 2015. The Postal Service is asking Congress for legislative changes to be made to eliminate the layoff protection in our collective bargaining agreement, therefore allowing them to layoff 120,000 career postal employees.
The Postal Service is also looking for power from Congress to allow them to remove postal workers from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), as well as remove postal employees from federal retirement programs.
To read more please click here.To read more about the story on the APWU’s website click here.
Guffey Defends Workers On ‘The Ed Show’
APWU President Cliff Guffey appeared on The Ed Show on MSNBC Aug. 11 to discuss the latest attack on postal workers.
Vote By Mail Law in California Strengthened and Rhode Island Enhances Vote By Mail Law
Recently California’s Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB 1343 which will increase the amount of times a permanent absentee voter can miss an election before being removed from their respective county’s vote-by-mail list.
California Gov. Brown also recently signed AB 412 into law. This legislation sets up a pilot experiment in Yolo County California by allowing them to conduct their local elections entirely by mail. The target of this pilot program is to increase voter participation. The findings will be reported back to the California State Legislature.
A newly enacted law in Rhode Island looks to increase overall voter participation. As of July 1, 2011 every registered voter in Rhode Island now has the right to submit a ballot via mail. Voters in the state no longer have to fall into a specific category in order to qualify to vote by mail.
To read more please click here.