APWU
Motor Vehicle Service Employees Are Essential
March 24, 2025Whether meeting with the Postmaster General (PMG), Deputy PMG, members of Congress, or national arbitrators, the Motor Vehicle Service (MVS) officers are always extolling the value of our craft employees.
magazineMVS DivisionMichael O. Foster
Voluntary Early Retirement
Whether meeting with the Postmaster General (PMG), Deputy PMG, members of Congress, or national arbitrators, the Motor Vehicle Service (MVS) officers are always extolling the value of our craft employees. The skill set and knowledge required to perform our duties, and the professionalism and pride of our members, should justify higher wages, better benefits, and the minimal contracting out of work.
The Postal Service recently offered Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) opportunities to eligible employees. These are occasionally offered over the years and can accomplish at least the reduction in the size of the bargaining unit and the ability to create lower-salary employees. While our value is obvious, the positions taken by the USPS during contract negotiations, interest arbitrations, and contracting-out decisions, makes essential employees appear to be expendable.
The USPS determined the MVS Craft employees to be essential, and only 12 percent of eligible employees would be allowed to complete the VER. If you choose to take it, you must make the Postal Service aware by March 7, 2025. If the 12 percent cap in MVS is exceeded, then the incentive will be granted based on total Postal Service seniority. The offer is also open to Part-Time Flexible employees on a pro-rated basis. The decision to retire is always a personal one, and for any APWU and MVS member who chooses the VER, congratulations and best wishes.
Position Papers Exchanged
The APWU and the USPS have exchanged their respective positions in MVS-filed national disputes on the following issues:
MVS Dispatch Coordinator
The first of several exchanges on this national dispute addressed the Postal Service’s creation of the MVS Dispatch Coordinator and the combination of duties across craft lines. We believe that the number of duties associated with this job description are so numerous that many contract violations occurred with the creation of this position. The job description encompasses the entire job description of the Clerk Vehicle Dispatcher, as well as duties from Vehicle Operations Assistant (Bulk Mail), Schedule Examiner Vehicle Runs (SEVR), as well as other APWU craft job descriptions. The MVS Dispatch Coordinator job description has the potential for employees to perform different duties daily, making it highly possible for management to begin siphoning work away from the bargaining unit. The Dispatch Coordinator is assigned to the MVS Craft.
Schedule Examiner Vehicle Runs (SEVR)
The SEVR dispute is about the shifting of those duties to management, which has been the subject of multiple Step 4 national disputes in the past. The Motor Vehicle Craft has had to ght for the SEVR position in the past and we have no intention of giving this work back to management.
Bulk Transportation of Mail
Bulk transportation of mail between facilities is the primary responsibility of the MVS Craft and Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) operators. In many locations, letter carriers or other employees are performing these duties. Where a Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC) has been established, the USPS instructs the Letter Carrier Craft to transport mail between the hub and spoke of ces. This is a direct violation of the S&DC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the history of the bargaining language.
Dynamic Route Optimization
Dynamic Route Optimization (DRO) was a plan by the Postal Service to change the Highway Contractor Route either weekly or even daily. However, when these routes became due for renewal, this dynamic routing did not allow for the APWU to fully exercise the rights we have bargained for in the contract. These programs utilize various methods of cost-saving strategies. DRO only uses a mileage calculation and does not include the hourly calculations required by Article 32.2.
As with all disputes, if you witness or have questions about these violations, please contact your local representatives, your National Business Agent, or the MVS Division.
Motor Vehicle Service
Employees Are Essential0
Statement of APWU President Mark Dimondstein on New Executive Order Attacking Workers Rights
March 28, 2025Workers and their unions are under attack with a new Executive Order issued by President Trump stripping the union rights of nearly a million federal workers. Trump’s executive order abolishes existing union contracts, eliminates collective bargaining rights, orders agencies to stop processing grievances, and prohibits payroll union dues collection.
Workers’ RightsMark Dimondstein
Workers and their unions are under attack with a new Executive Order issued by President Trump stripping the union rights of nearly a million federal workers. Trump’s Executive Order abolishes existing union contracts, eliminates collective bargaining rights, orders agencies to stop processing grievances, and prohibits payroll union dues collection.
Wrapped in the bogus guise of “national security concerns,” this is the most serious attack on unionized workers in this country in at least a generation.
The President of the United States claimed during the recent election to be a friend of working people. No “friend” of working people would take action to destroy, rather than uplift, unions and workers’ rights.
This Executive Order is part of an ongoing assault on all workers, and our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association. Make no mistake, postal workers will not be spared from this Administration and their billionaire benefactors’ war on workers.
These dictatorial actions, with no respect for the law, come right out of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party’s playbook. Shortly after coming to power in 1933, the Nazis launched an assault on the independent trade union movement, dissolving unions, seizing union funds, and beating, imprisoning, and murdering union leaders.
Working people and our unions must face the seriousness of these attacks with our weapons of solidarity and action. President Trump has made his intentions clear – he is out to destroy the labor movement. Now is the time for every worker to stand up and fight back!
Our sisters and brothers at AFGE, the largest federal union, are urging every worker to take action today. Call your members of Congress at 817-904-8624 and urge them to stop this attack on working people. Digital actions are available at mobilize.us/afge
Stay tuned for more actions and demonstrations to come.
Statement of APWU President Mark Dimondstein on New Executive Order Attacking Workers Rights0
Read More....APWU NSB 02-2025 Hands Off Day of Action Recap
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Read More....APWU NSB 01-2025 Biden Signs Social Security Fairness Act
https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/nsb_01-2025_social_security_fairness_act_passes_final.pdfAPWU NSB 01-2025 Biden Signs Social Security Fairness Act
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Maintenance Craft In-Service Open Season March 1-31, 2025
March 1, 2025Once a year, during the month of March (March 1-31), ALL career employees may request to be tested for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings and placement on In-Service Registers.
magazineMaintenance DivisionIdowu Balogun
From March 1-31, ALL career employees may request to be tested for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings and placement on In-Service Registers. In March, career employees already on the In-Service Register can submit a written request to remain on those registers and avoid the annual purge that occurs on April 1.
Below are the January 18, 2023 Questions & Answers for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: In-Service Examinations, Register and Eligibility:
National Q&As on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: In-Service Examinations, Register and Eligibility Ratings
Is the March annual service wide opportunity to test for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings limited to once per year during the month of March?
Yes.
Who is eligible to participate in the annual opportunity to test for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings?
All career employees are eligible.
Can Maintenance Craft employees participate in the annual opportunity to test for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings?
Yes.
If In-Service Registers do not exist, where are the exam results placed?
The HR MSS Coordinator is responsible for placing the results in the employee’s eOPF.
What form must career employees complete when submitting a written request to participate in the March annual In-Service opportunity?
Management shall provide an Employee Maintenance Position Selection (EMPS) form as found in the EL-304 to employees.
What occupational group can career employees request to receive eligibility ratings for?
All Maintenance Craft occupational groups (MSS and non-MSS) that require an examination, except National Service Technician ET-11.
Can non-Maintenance Craft, career employees that have already received eligibility ratings request to be tested again in subsequent years in an attempt to improve their scores?
Yes.
What options are available for non-Maintenance Craft employees who have failed the structured interview, but received an eligibility rating on examination 955?
In subsequent years, the employee may (1) request to retake the examination for the structured interview only or (2) can request the opportunity to retake both the examination 955 and the structured interview. If the employee retakes examination 955, the highest achieved score is used as the eligibility rating.
Can current Maintenance Craft employees that have received In-service eligibility ratings for occupational groups that are not in their facility, request to be tested again in subsequent years in an attempt to improve their scores?
Yes.
What happens if an employee is a “no show” for the proctored exam or structured interview during the In-Service process?
The employee is deemed ineligible and may request to take the exam/structured interview during the following year’s annual opportunity.
Are there any changes to the way employees are ranked on In-Service Registers?
No, there are no changes.
If non-custodial In-Service Registers exist, how will employees be added in subsequent years?
Merged in score order.
If an employee on an In-Service Register declines to accept a position in the Maintenance Craft, is that employee’s name removed from the In-Service Register?
No, the employee will be bypassed for that position.
When will In-Service Registers be purged?
Every year on April 1.
What must employees on In-Service Registers do to avoid the April purge and remain on In-Service Registers?
Employees must submit a written request by March 31 to the District HR MSS Coordinator. The exception is employees on custodial In-Service Registers, which are not purged.
Is there a specific form that employees must use to submit their notification to management of their intent to avoid the April purge and remain on In-Service Registers?
No, any written/emailed request to remain on the In-Service Registers will be accepted. ■
Maintenance Craft In-Service Open Season
March 1-31, 20250
Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap
March 24, 2025Research and Education Director Joyce Robinson provides information to illustrate the pay gap between men’s and women’s wages and legislation aimed to combat it.
magazineResearch and EducationJoyce B. Robinson
Because women earn less than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. Equal Pay Day originates from the 1996 National Committee on Pay Equity to illustrate the gap between men’s and women’s wages, and is the symbolic day when women’s earnings catch up to men’s earnings from the previous year. This year, National Equal Pay Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Gender Gap by Race and Age
Federal women employees are protected by The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform equal work. But many states do not follow these laws. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the second quarter of 2024, the median weekly earnings was $1,253 for men and $1,017 for women. The data also revealed discrepancies by race. The median weekly earnings of white women were $1,037, while Black women’s earnings were $906, or 87.4 percent compared to white women. Latina women earned $831, or 80.1 percent of earnings per dollar by white women. Asian women earned $1,337, which was higher than white women. And by age, the median weekly earnings of women were highest for women ages 45 to 54 at $1,151, and lowest for women ages 16 to 24 at $771.
Institute for Women’s Policy Research Findings
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, more than 36 million households in the U.S. are headed by women. Forty-eight percent of white mothers, 49 percent of Latina mothers, 79 percent of Black mothers, 64 percent of Native American mothers, and 43 percent of Asian and Paci c Islander mothers are breadwinners in their households. Yet, mothers overall are paid just 62 cents for every dollar paid to fathers.
The wage gap also varies by state and congressional district. In Utah, where the gap is the widest, women are paid only 61 cents for every dollar paid to men (a gap of 39 cents for every dollar). Even in Vermont, where the gap is the narrowest, women are paid just 83 cents for every dollar paid to men – a gap of 17 cents. In each of the 435 congressional districts across the country and the District of Columbia, the median annual pay for women is less than the median annual pay for men.
The Paycheck Fairness Act
The Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA) was a bill that addressed wage discrimination in the workplace. The House of Representatives formerly passed the bill in April 2021, during the 117th Congress, and it moved to the Senate in March 2023. However, it did not make it to the floor for a vote. If reintroduced and passed in the new Congress, the PFA would help strengthen the Equal Pay Act and eliminate wage discrimination by:
Limiting an employer’s defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bonafide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims,
Enhancing nonretaliation prohibitions,
Making it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee’s wages, and
Increasing civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions.
Equal Pay Day is on March 25, 2025. Wear RED to show solidarity with the fight for pay equity and gender equality! ■
Resources: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, National Committee on Pay Equity, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau.
Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap0
Read More....CNN: US Postal Service head DeJoy resigns
March 24, 2025
Louis DeJoy resigned from his role as head of the US Postal Service on Monday, leaving the independent government agency at a time when it faces calls for privatization and scrutiny from the Trump administration.
Louis DeJoy resigned from his role as head of the US Postal Service on Monday, leaving the independent government agency at a time when it faces calls for privatization and scrutiny from the Trump administration.
In a statement released by USPS, DeJoy said while the 250-year old-service had made “beneficial change to what had been an adrift and moribund organization,” more work was necessary “to sustain our positive trajectory.”
CNN: US Postal Service head DeJoy resigns0
Read More....US Postal Service head DeJoy resigns
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/24/politics/usps-head-dejoy-resigns/index.htmlMonday, March 24, 2025US Postal Service head DeJoy resigns
Read More....President Dimondstein’s Statement on Resignation of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy
March 24, 2025Make no mistake, Louis DeJoy was forced out by a White House Administration that is intent on breaking up and selling off the public Postal Service. The Board should move as quickly as possible to hire as the next permanent postmaster general, someone committed to the public service mission of the USPS, who respects the rights of hardworking postal workers, and who will not break up and sell off our public Postal Service.
Today Louis DeJoy resigned as Postmaster General. By law, Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino becomes interim PMG.
Make no mistake, Louis DeJoy was forced out by a White House Administration that is intent on breaking up and selling off the public Postal Service. Reports from last month made clear that the White House has plans for a hostile takeover of the Postal Service.
As I said then, any attack on the Postal Service is part of the ongoing oligarchs’ coup against the vital public services our members and other public servants provide the country. We know that privatized postal services will lead to higher postage prices, and lower service quality to the public.
No matter who leads the USPS, it is – and must remain – the People’s Postal Service.
Our goals as the APWU remain the same – to defend the public postal service, fight for new and expanded services, to defend the rights of postal workers and fight to improve our pay, benefits, and working conditions.
The service our members provide every single day, in every community, are vital to the country. We will continue to lead the fight to ensure that the Postal Service stays in the hands of its rightful owners – the people – and that it continues to provide quality, universal service that the public deserves.
The law is clear: the Postal Service was created by Congress as an independent agency, designed to be free from shifting political winds and dedicated solely to serving the country. The law is also clear that the Board of Governors, and it alone, is empowered to hire and fire the postmaster general. Any attempt by this Administration to seize power from the Board is unlawful and only makes clear their goal of breaking up and selling off the Postal Service to private corporations.
The APWU calls on the Board of Governors to stand its ground and take its responsibilities seriously. The Board should move as quickly as possible to hire as the next permanent postmaster general, someone committed to the public service mission of the USPS, who respects the rights of hardworking postal workers, and who will not break up and sell off our public Postal Service.
APWU President Mark Dimondstein
Ask your Representative to Support the Independent Public Postal Service
Write to your representative in the House and urge them to cosponsor H. Res. 70 to stand with the Postal Service and its dedicated workforce against the threat of privatization.
Protecting Our Rights During the Threats We Face!
March 24, 2025The threats to our collective bargaining rights are very real. There are new policies that some people in power want to implement, which could signi cantly impact our ability to negotiate for our wages, rights, and benefits. Organization Director Anna Smith provides ways postal workers can protect our rights.
magazineOrganizationAnna Smith
Almost from the day we start working at the Postal Service, we hear negative comments such as, “the Post Office is going under,” or “automation will replace our jobs.” For those who have been around for any length of time, those predictions have fallen short. Despite the threats, we are still here today!
We learn to adapt to changes and adjust how things are done, and we will continue to do so. One thing is for sure, the workplace as we know it today will not be the same in five years, or even a year from now.
However, the threats to our collective bargaining rights are very real. There are new policies that some people in power want to implement, which could signi cantly impact our ability to negotiate for our wages, rights, and benefits.
What can we do? We push back! We must strengthen our union’s power by increasing our membership, organizing, and taking action. Stay informed and know your rights. There is a wealth of information available at union meetings, in union publications, and by visiting www.apwu.org. Together we must build community support for the work we do as postal workers. We must stand up and take action to protect the rights we have.
No action you take to protect our rights will be too small, such as having a conversation with your nonmember coworkers asking them to stand with you, making a phone call to a legislator, or even just sharing a post on social media about a collective APWU action. Make protecting your job and rights a priority.
What does the Volunteer Early Retirement Incentive mean for the APWU?
The Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) incentive may be beneficial and meet some members’ personal needs, but it will create challenges for our union as a whole and on the workroom floor. One of the positive effects of the VER is that junior employees might have the opportunity to bid into duty assignments that are typically held by senior coworkers. It also gives workers the ability to enjoy their retirement early.
There are some challenging effects that we must adapt to and overcome. Our union membership will decline. Yes, we can build it back up, but any decline in membership means a decline in bargaining power. That isn’t a good position for us to be in during contract negotiations. We all know that management will test us on the workroom floor, demanding more work be done with less people.
As a union, we must protect both those taking the VER and those who remain in the bargaining unit. As the Postal Service replaces those retiring, it is essential that we take every opportunity to bring new employees into the APWU. Have conversations with your non-member coworkers. If you see new employees, ask them to stand with you and join the APWU. If you hear new employees stating they didn’t see a union representative at orientation, let your local union leaders know. Helping nonmembers join is easier than ever with “online join,” it’s quick and can be done from either a mobile device or computer at www.apwu.org. Feel free to reach out to the department for any assistance with organizing.
Remember, for those who are retiring, be sure to take advantage of the rights and benefits of being an APWU Retiree Member. ■
Are You a Newly-Employed Career Employee in Your Craft?
Be sure to request the recently updated Career Employee fliers from your local for the Clerk, Maintenance, and Motor Vehicle Crafts. The newest version has a revision date of 1/2025. Please discard any previous versions, as they have information pertaining to Federal Employees Health Benefi ts (FEHB) rather than the new Postal Service Health Benefi ts (PSHB) program. You can also find them online by visiting: apwu.org/career-employees.
Protecting Our Rights During the Threats We Face!0
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