Editorial: GOP House Postal Reform Bill Includes Provisions Negative to Postal Employees
Posted On: Apr 26, 2012
Editorial: GOP House Postal Reform Bill Includes Provisions Negative to Postal Employees
Round One
The Senate passes S1789 to reform the Postal Service on a vote of 62 to 37, meeting the 60 vote requirement by Senate rule. Debate now commences on HR 2309. The House Committee and Subcommittee chairmen are Republicans and have expressed strong opposition to the union’s objectives. The Senate Bill includes the following:
Refunds the retirement overpayment
Restructures Health Benefit payment
Requires arbitrators to consider USPS’ financial health
Delays 5 day delivery
Retirement incentives
Delays change to Delivery Standards
Establishes a process for the closing of facilities
Changes FICA
Medicare coordination
Time limit on service changes
Reduces compensation of top executives
In that 51 Senators are Democrats, to achieve the 62 vote total, 11 Republicans voted yes to approve. Senators McCain, Coburn and Paul offered negative amendments to:
End mailbox monopoly
Pilot privatization
Prohibit collective bargaining
Establish Postal Commission
Require retirement eligible(s) to retire
End monopoly
Prohibit unions from using dues in political arena
HR 2309 will now be debated in the House which is Republican controlled and it has included provisions more negative to postal employees. After the House completes deliberations, members of the House and Senate will be appointed as conferees to resolve the differences between the House and Senate Bills. In that the Democrats have a majority in the Senate it is expected that the best opportunity at achieving the union’s objectives was in the Senate Bill that will not be improved in the House or the final Bill.
Bill Burrus
QUEENS AREA LOCAL 1022 AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION