APWU
This is a ‘Code Red Alert’ to APWU Veterans
January 21, 2025In the last Home Front article, we warned veterans about “Project 2025” and how a second Trump term would destroy the VA, and VA healthcare benefits. Unfortunately for our APWU veteran family, his Project 2025 plan to destroy VA healthcare could begin the minute he enters the White House.
magazineHomefrontVeteransHomefront – Veterans Resources
The APWU launched our “Hands Off Our Veterans’ Healthcare and Disability Benefits” initiative in January 2024. Now, with the re-election of Donald Trump as President, 2025 could spell the end of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) healthcare.
In the last Home Front article, we warned veterans about “Project 2025” and how a second Trump term would destroy the VA, and VA healthcare benefits. Unfortunately for our APWU veteran family, Trump won, and his Project 2025 plan to destroy VA healthcare could begin the minute he enters the White House.
So, what can we do to stop this attack that would totally privatize VA healthcare and leave millions of veterans without access to medical and mental healthcare services? Well, we could start by fighting back against this attack to cut or destroy the VA healthcare benefits for 22 million living veterans. Fighting back means thanking President Biden for signing the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law, and asking VA Secretary Denis McDonough to accelerate the implementation process that began over two years ago.
In a Letter to All Veterans, Dated Oct. 29, 2024, President Biden Stated the Following:
“As a nation we have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation: to train and equip those we send into harm’s way, and care for them and their families when they return home, and when they don’t. Our veterans and military families represent the best of America. We owe them. We owe you. May God bless the United States of America, and may God protect our troops. Signed Joe Biden.”
Fighting back means protecting PACT Act laws and protesting any attempt to restrict, reduce, or eliminate them. If President-elect Trump implements even a portion of the Project 2025 recommendations, the VA healthcare system could collapse entirely. By privatizing more government programs, the VA will foolishly and expensively outsource the healthcare and benefits to for-profit companies with little experience dealing with veterans, with a clear incentive to enhance their bottom line.
By cutting back on disability compensation, countless veterans will lose their jobs and homes, plunging many into poverty and causing them to experience more mental health problems. VA disability claims, which determine the severity and rating of a veteran’s disability, will be turned over to private, for-profit healthcare providers, thus overhauling and reducing compensation percentage rates and payment amounts for the veteran’s disability.
Fighting back means protesting Project 2025’s plan to reduce or eliminate the VA Mental and Medical benefits that veterans with service-connected conditions receive. Currently, once veterans prove they have a service-related condition, they can receive healthcare through the VA for that condition along with their non-service-connected conditions. Project 2025’s plan would potentially exclude a long list of supplementary VA healthcare services not directly related to the veteran’s time in active duty, that developed after leaving the military. A prime example of this would be living Vietnam War-era veterans, who until the PACT Act, had been denied military service-connected claims for cancer or diabetes for over 50 years.
The VA was established in 1930 with 54 Hospitals. In 1946, after another major war, it expanded to include healthcare benefits, establishing the current system, fully staffed with VA Federal Government workers. Today it has 1,600 healthcare facilities, including 144 medical centers and 1,232 outpatient clinics. The resources, need, and intent for VA healthcare facilities was to provide veterans with high quality healthcare and benefits, and all that was required to receive same-day basic healthcare was an honorable DD-214.
So, this is a Code Red Alert to our entire APWU veterans’ family. It’s time to wake up and fight for the VA healthcare benefits that all veterans deserve before Project 2025 takes them all away.
The Struggle Continues! ■
This is a ‘Code Red Alert’ to APWU Veterans0
Read More....WestPac SDC Sites 2025-2027
Tuesday, January 14, 2025Western AreaWestern westpac_sdc_sites_2025-2027_1-15-25.pdfWestPac SDC Sites 2025-2027
Read More....USPS Announces Termination of FSAFEDS Accounts for 2025 Plan Year, Provides New Enrollment Option for Affected Employees
January 17, 2025On Dec. 30, 2024, the Postal Service notified the APWU that it is informing employees who enrolled in the FSAFEDS Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for plan year 2025 that their accounts will be terminated. FSAFEDS is no longer the FSA administrator for the Postal Service. Instead, Inspira Financial will be the Postal Service’s FSA administrator for the 2025 plan year.
On Dec. 30, 2024, the Postal Service notified the APWU that it is informing employees who enrolled in the FSAFEDS Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for plan year 2025 that their accounts will be terminated. FSAFEDS is no longer the FSA administrator for the Postal Service. Instead, Inspira Financial will be the Postal Service’s FSA administrator for the 2025 plan year.
Employees who enrolled in FSAFEDS for 2025 will have the option to enroll in the Inspira Financial FSA. For those who choose to enroll, it will be processed as a late action with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2025. However, an employees’ plan year amount will be deducted by fewer pay periods, which will cause their deduction amount to be slightly higher than their initial enrollment election per pay period.
The Postal Service will include a new enrollment form and contact number for Inspira Financial in a mailing to employees whose accounts have been terminated. This enrollment termination only affects those who enrolled in the FSAFEDS plan. Modifications will be permitted through Jan. 31, 2025.
For any questions, please ask for a union steward or contact your local union representative.
USPS Announces Termination of FSAFEDS Accounts for 2025 Plan Year, Provides New Enrollment Option for Affected Employees0
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Postal Workers and Allies: Stop the Slowdown!
January 17, 2025Stop the Slowdown! The Postal Service proposed plans to decrease service standards to the detriment of our communities. Here’s why hundreds of thousands members of the public are standing up and fighting back against efforts to degrade the country’s mail system. Let’s keep the pressure on!
magazineA Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service
The Postal Service has once again proposed serious cuts to mail service in large swaths of the country. A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service is standing up and fighting back against efforts to degrade the country’s mail system, as it has time and again since its creation in 2013.
The current proposal from the Postal Service will spell the end of afternoon collection of mail from post offices, stations, and branches across the country. Instead, mail will be picked up the following morning. While this may not seem like a big operational change, it means much of the country’s First-Class Mail can be expected to take an additional day to reach its destination.
Perhaps even more outrageous, is that the Postal Service is proposing to no longer count Sunday as a day towards its service standards – the goal it sets for delivery times for mail.
As in 2021, when the USPS last proposed changes to its service standards, the Postal Service is required to seek an opinion from its regulator, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), and to give the public an opportunity to comment on its proposals, before proceeding with making the changes. And once again, members of A Grand Alliance and its allies stood up and flooded the Postal Service with their views.
More than 50,000 postal workers, family members, and allies submitted comments to the Postal Service’s public notice-and-comment process. More than 300,000 members of the public sent messages directly to the Postal Board of Governors and their members of Congress. And, almost universally, those who had a chance to read about the Postal Service’s proposals had a clear message: Stop the Slowdown!
Many commenters noted that they have no viable alternative to the Postal Service, and slowing the mail down would hurt their household finances or their small businesses. Many who live in rural areas noted that they are entirely dependent on the Postal Service to take of all sorts of critical tasks, such as sending bills, receiving medication, or making medical appointments. With slower mail, they’re not just worried about costly late fees, but sometimes with decisions about their health as well.
Several writers said that, because they live in rural areas of the country, they do not have access to alternative shipping services like FedEx, UPS, or Amazon. Some commenters added that internet access is unreliable where they live. Many repeated that the Postal Service is a lifeline to their families and communities.
Others noted how further slowing of the mail would only degrade the Postal Service’s standing with the people. They noted that the Postal Service, as one of the few universal services in the country, was unique in its ability to reach every community in the country, no matter who you are, or where you live. One person said, “It is a source of pride to live in a country which guarantees reliable postal service to all of us.”
The PRC can only offer an advisory opinion on the Postal Service’s proposed changes. Ultimately, it is up to Postal management to decide if their proposal is in the best interest of the country and the people they serve. Our hope is that our voices are heard loud and clear, in the many hundreds of thousands, that the people demand reliable, quality, and speedy mail service now and for generations to come.
Postal Workers and Allies: Stop the Slowdown!0
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Our Labor History: National Strike Against GE and New York Transit Strike
January 17, 2025This month in Labor History, we look back at two major strikes that shifted their industries: the General Electric and Westinghouse nationwide strike of over 800,000 auto and steelworkers, and the New York City Transit Strike which shut down the city’s public transit for 12 days. Learn more here:
magazineLabor HistoryAPWU History
National Strike Against General Electric Sparks Shutdown of Major Industries
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APWU Applauds Decision to Keep Local Mail Local
January 16, 2025In November 2024, The Postal Regulatory Commission reversed course on a slew of postal consolidations, retaining local mail processing at 16 additional facilities across the U.S. This is a win for the public postal service, as we believe local mail should remain local.
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In November 2024, the Postal Service notified the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in two rounds of announcements dated Nov. 12 and Nov. 22, that 16 additional facilities that will retain local mail processing, reversing their recommendation for consolidation, as originally planned.
The APWU applauds this decision. While we agree that the current network needs upgrades to handle the change of mail-mix from a majority of envelopes and flats to packages, we believe that local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away from its entry into the mail flow, only to return a day later, further delays America’s mail.
We stand with the people of our country and agree that we need improved postal services. During the peak season for holiday mail, we anticipate too many delays. But we also know how well the Postal Service can operate. During the 2024 General Election season 97.7 percent of them were delivered within three days.
When we have the proper staffing in place and enact measures to ensure that our system runs efficiently, like we did during the 2024 election season, we can ensure that every community from coast to coast – and beyond – has dependable mail delivery service.
“The APWU believes that the Postal Service must modernize its network to improve service and deliver mail reliably to its customers,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We are happy to see the USPS responding to feedback that local mail should stay local, but we also know that moving the goal posts on service standards and ending afternoon collections for certain facilities will not improve the public’s trust or experience with our Postal Service.” ■
APWU Applauds Decision to Keep Local Mail Local0
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USPS Board of Governors Elects New Leadership
January 16, 2025The USPS Board of Governors elected governor Amber F. McReyolds as a new board chair at its fourth and final meeting of 2024, Now three vacancies exist upon the expiration of Anton Hajjar’s term on December 8.
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On Nov 14, in its fourth and final meeting of 2024, the Postal Board of Governors elected fellow governor Amber F. McReynolds to serve as chair of the Board. She also currently chairs the Board’s Election Mail committee. Additionally, the governors elected Derek Kan to serve as vice chairman.
At this meeting, the Board discussed the Postal Service’s 2024 financial report, reports from the Audit and Finance committee, Compensation and Governance committee, Operations committee, and Election Mail committee.
It was also the final meeting for Governor Anton Hajjar. Hajjar’s seat on the Postal Board of Governors expired on Dec. 8, adding an additional vacant seat to the two existing vacancies. Outgoing President Joe Biden had already submitted three nominees to fill these seats, which include Val Butler Demings, William Zollars, and Gordon Hartogensis. But, by the time of publication for this issue of The American Postal Worker, the Senate failed to move to confirm the president’s nominees, and the vacancies are expected to carry over to a new Trump administration.
The Board provides the important oversight in ensuring that this institution continues to provide high-quality service to every community.
The gridlock to confirm these qualified nominees is frustrating, but it further demonstrates the necessity of grassroots actions and vigilance at the state and local level to ensure that the Postal Service is treating employees well and moving the mail to every door, without exception.
The Postal Board of Governors does not have the final say in how our mail runs – the people do. No matter who Trump nominates to the Board, the APWU will keep fighting for the exceptional service and delivery standards our communities deserve. Stay tuned for more updates.
usps board of governors elects new leadership0
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Project 2025 Seeks to Undermine Public Services with Schedule F
January 16, 2025The reinstatement of Trump’s 2020 “Schedule F” Executive Order may be on the horizon with Project 2025, reclassifying many civil servants into at-will employees without job protection. Organized labor must stand together and prepare to fight back:
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The American Postal Worker has reported on the conservative-created, Trump-supported Project 2025 in past issues. Please see the August- September 2024 and October- November 2024 issues for more background information.
Americans everywhere depend on efficient government services to support our communities, foster economic stability, and provide a social safety net for neighbors in need. Civil servants, at all levels of government, help make sure public services like Social Security payments, disaster relief, and public education are accessible to everyone who wants them. Keeping high quality public services available and open to the public also means keeping civil servants with expertise in these jobs.
Project 2025 seeks to undermine this expectation of efficiency and expertise in public services by dismantling the Federal Government and reinstating Trump’s 2020 “Schedule F” Executive Order. This would allow the ruling administration to reclassify many civil servants as policymaking or policy-evaluating workers, thereby removing their civil service protections and making them at-will employees. President Trump could then install whomever he pleases based on favoritism and loyalty to his administration.
Deploying Schedule F to replace dedicated civil servants with inexperienced cronies removes the very people who are experts at their jobs and have the knowledge to help our government serve our communities in the best possible way.
Installing employees based on “who you know” favoritism effectively removes the nonpartisan and professional nature of civil service – civil servants should simply be the most qualified for the job. That’s why tests like the ones postal workers must take for employment exist. An unbiased exam means that workers earn their jobs based on their skills, not who we know or what color our skin is.
Furthermore, in the long run, this practice could effectively dismantle public trust and efficiency in government services, letting billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk make the case for a privatized, capitalistic government that profits off its citizens, instead of a government that exists to uplift workers and our communities.
Our union family at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is preparing to fight back and protect their workers who are providing essential public services at the federal level. We must stand together as working people and fight back against attacks on the AFGE and our other union families, to protect knowledgeable, dedicated federal employees and great public services for everyone. ■
Project 2025 Seeks to Undermine Public Services with Schedule F0
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2024 Ballot Measures: Wins for the Working Class
January 16, 2025During the 2024 General Election, voters weighed in on more than just candidates; in many states, they also voted on state-specific ballot measures that mattered most to them as individuals, such as increasing the minimum wage, preserving public education, protecting reproductive rights, and the right to unionize.
magazineElections
During the 2024 General Election, voters didn’t just choose candidates to represent them in their respective local, state, and federal elections, but in many states they also voted on ballot measures on specific issues that mattered most to them as individuals.
Ballot measures, or ballot propositions, are state-level measures that give citizens the power to change laws through a vote, meaning that the voters decide on the issues. Ballot measures can be a key tool to allow voters to pass measures at the state level.
In 2024, voters decided on issues that affect working class people, irrespective of partisan affiliation, such as increasing the minimum wage, expanding paid sick leave, preserving public education, banning anti-union captive-audience meetings, protecting reproductive rights, and the right to unionize.
In many cases, the same states who voted in favor for the issues above also elected candidates that opposed them, showing a dissonance between the progressive policies voters want and the conservative policies elected officials enact. Working people need a party that will focus on the issues that affect us – and fight for those same issues when they are in office. Voters said enough with the status quo and empty promises, they sought change that will impact their lives and families. The results in this election, for both candidates and ballot measures, show that if we are going to win for working people, we need candidates who will fight for us, not the billionaire class. ■
2024 Ballot Measures: Wins for the Working Class0
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USPS Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Report Highlights Need for Adaptation, Expanded Services
January 16, 2025Volume Down, Revenue Up. The financial results of the Postal Service for the 2024 fiscal year have been announced, and the results may surprise you. While USPS remains a trusted public service, it must continue to adapt to changes in the mail mix to remain competitive. Read more:
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The Postal Service released its 2024 Form 10-K on Nov. 14, 2024, which reports on its financial results for the 2024 fiscal year (FY) that ended on Sept. 30, 2024.
Highlights of the report show that the total operating revenue for FY2024 was more than $79.5 billion, an increase of $1.35 billion, or 1.7 percent from FY2023. Revenue from shipping and packages was $32.26 billion, an increase of $625 million, or 2 percent from FY2023.
Despite the increases in revenue, total volume was down 3.2 percent for the year. Package volume, however, increased 2.7 percent, with a 1.9 percent increase in revenue. First-Class Mail (FCM) volume declined by 3.5 percent, but revenue increased by 3.38 percent. The revenue increase results from four price increases on market-dominant products in 2023 and 2024. And while the USPS revenue was down 1.3 percent for single-piece FCM, revenue was up 5.4 percent for presorted FCM. The price increases easily made up for the modest volume losses.
For the past decade, private companies such as FedEx, Amazon, and UPS have been investing in the expansion of their delivery networks at a financial loss in hopes for future gains, which has taken modest mail and package volumes away from the Postal Service. FedEx and Amazon have made the most investments, which may soon become profitable. This would allow them to gain more density in the market space, meaning that they would provide similar shipping and delivery services, and the Postal Service could lose its market share in the industry.
While the Postal Service remains a trusted public service, it must continue to adapt to changes in the mail mix and declining mail volumes by expanding its products and services to remain competitive. This may be difficult if the Postal Service enacts additional proposed changes to service standards that would further slow mail, degrade services, and undermine the public trust. Expanded products and services, like postal banking, could also increase revenue for the USPS and should remain a priority for the USPS to become fiscally solvent. ■
Total Volume: Down 3.2%Total Revenue: Up 1.7%First Class Mail Volume: Down 3.5%First Class Mail Revenue: 3.38%
USPS Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Report Highlights Need for Adaptation, Expanded Services0
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