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U.S. Postal Service Under Attack
by John Beaumont, National Association of Letter Carriers
On January 17, 1962, President John F Kennedy signed Executive Order 10988. This granted Federal Employees, for the first time, the right to collective bargaining.
This action led to inspire many states and localities to follow suit, allowing their own workers to organize. This triggered a huge wave of unionization in the public sector that saw firefighters, teachers, janitors, social workers and many others form unions in the 1960s and '70s.
Now all this is under attack. The nation's postal unions, whose employees combine to be the largest Federal union in the nation, are being attacked through proposed legislation in the United States Senate.
As early as next week, S. 1789, the so-called 21st Century Postal Service Act, is moving forward for a floor vote in the Senate. This bill, reported out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security by Senator Lieberman, would do the following:
- Cuts mail delivery from six days a week down to five days in two years' time if the Postal Service is not turning a profit, but fails to give the Postal Service any flexibility to achieve that profit.
- Phases out door-to-door delivery for consumers in favor of curbside and centralized delivery.
- Includes an anti-labor provision that would direct arbitrators to take into special consideration the financial condition of the Postal Service before rendering a decision. A direct attack on collective bargaining.
- Unfairly attacks injured postal workers by removing them from the OWCP rolls and forcing them into retirement without implementing a formula that would make these people whole. The reduction in compensation would be severe.
If Congress succeeds in this attack against the postal unions, it will shift its focus to the rest of the unionized federal workforce, including our newly certified brothers and sisters who are employed by TSA.
We need your help to stop this attack. Please call Sen. Dianne Feinstein at (202) 224-3841 and Sen. Barbara Boxer at (202) 224-3553 and ask them both to oppose S. 1789 in its current form. The legislation is deeply flawed and needs significant changes before the Senate should consider passage of this bill.
Changes to the bill should include provisions from S. 1853, which actually does take the necessary steps by addressing the issues laid out above to strengthen the Postal Service while maintaining the excellent level of service Americans have come to expect, preserving middle-class jobs and creating new opportunities for the Postal Service moving forward.
Posted on 01/26/2012 • Permalink
Reader Discussion
Please, do not let this institution or it’s many employees be tossed aside.
The services provided are valuable to each and every person not only here in the states, but in conjunction throughout the world.
The U.S. Postal Service it an integral part of my life both at home and at work.
I know I am not alone in this fight, and I appreciate your time and assistance.
The USPS is essential to our nation. Do not allow bad legislation to make things worse. There does need to be some tweeks and adjustments as much commerce is done on the internet, but S1789 in its current form will impact seniors, small businesses and rural communities - basically the “little guys.” S 1853 is a better bill and will solve the financial problems while maintaining the level of service our nation needs.
If American’s allow congress to gut and destroy the Postal service we will pay dearly. Prepare to go to FedX and UPS and prepare to bring lots of cash to mail that letter and package because you will pay and pay and service will not be near as good as the United Postal Service. I hear people bitch now and then about long lines at the post office, I tell them to go down the street and stand in line at FedX and bring more cash because you are going to need it. No I don’t work for the post office and never have but I know a good thing when I see it and I will work hard to protect it.
I really depend upon the US Mail! I can not believe there is even discussion of such an ill-advised plan.
Please protect the U. S. post office especially for relatives and friends in rural areas who depend on this service and contact with a government program.
The USPS is too valuable a service to the nation to allow Congress to destroy it by bad legislation. If S 1789 passes in it’s current form; seniors, rural communities, and small businesses will be the first to feel the ill effects. S 1853 is a much better bill that solves the USPS, financial problems while maintaining the level of service the nation needs.
at 10:25 pm on Thu, Jan 26, 2012Posted by Jeff Parr