APWU
Unions Rally for Social Security Fairness on Capitol Hill
September 19, 2024With just over a week before members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. until after the November elections, the time is now to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (H.R. 82, S. 597)!
https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/dimondstein_ssfa.jpgSocial SecurityCongressLegislative and Political
(Update: As of 5 p.m. on September 19, the discharge petition has successfully moved the Social Security Fairness Act to the House floor for a vote. With the finish line in sight, we must now switch our focus from the discharge petition to passage of H.R. 82 on the House floor later this month!
With just over a week before members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. until after the November elections, the time is now to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (H.R. 82, S. 597)!
Joined by a number of public-sector union leaders, including APWU President Mark Dimondstein, the leaders of this bill, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-06) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), held a press conference on Thursday morning in support of the SSFA.
If passed, this bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which are parts of Social Security law that unfairly reduce, or sometimes eliminate, Social Security benefits for almost three million civil servants, including postal workers, many state employees, and federal annuitants, as well as their survivors. The GPO and WEP penalize postal and federal Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees that meet the requirements for Social Security benefits and have paid their fair share into the program.
Although the bill has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, it has not been able to move out of committee to the House floor for a vote. That’s why Rep. Graves and Rep. Spanberger now support a discharge petition, H. Res. 1410. A discharge petition is a process to bring any bill sitting in committee to the House floor for a vote as long as at least 218 members of Congress sign the petition.
“We are really proud and pleased that we are at the cusp of finally righting this wrong and getting some real justice moving forward – stopping the theft, stopping the raid on our pensions, and letting those civil service retirees live their retirement [with] the dignity and the financial security that [they] earn,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein.
“We urge all the Congress folks who have not yet signed the discharge petition to do so. Let’s bring this to a vote…let the needs and the voices of the people be heard…and we’ll finally get the justice our retirees have earned today and into the future,” he concluded.
Thanks to the hard work of our members and allies from all 50 states who made phone calls to their representatives during our “Call Congress Day of Action” last week, we are now only 13 signatures away from a successful discharge petition!
“Today I witnessed what we can accomplish when we work together,” said APWU Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard. “We thank Rep. Graves and Rep. Spanberger for their support in this fight for justice. Regardless of party, each speaker at today’s press conference said the same thing – GPO and WEP are wrong, and they must be repealed now! Due to the hard work of our members, along with other unions and affected organizations, we have built a strong movement that will get this bill to the House floor!”
Unions Rally for Social Security Fairness on Capitol Hill0
Read More....APWU Pleased USPS Will Reverse Some Consolidation Efforts and More Facilities Will ‘Keep Local Mail Local ‘
September 19, 2024The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
Plant Consolidationnetwork modernization
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
The union has consistently opposed local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away only to then return to the local area. Such a process can only further delay mail.
As such, the union has consistently advocated that mail generated in a local area, for delivery in the local area, should stay and be processed and sorted in the local area.
Recently management has announced a reversal of some previous consolidation efforts and now plan to keep processing of “local mail local” in a number of locations previously expected to have that work moved long distances as part of management’s network modernization plans.
“While the union is still assessing these newly announced changes and seeking more clarification and details, we welcome what appears to be some positive steps in the right direction,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers, elected representatives and communities across the country have made their voices heard to keep local mail local and to avoid any further slow-down in the mail.”
However, along with some positive developments are negative ones. Postal management and the Postal Board of Governors are also filing a case with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that we believe will further slowdown mail service for many areas of the country, particularly in rural America.
“The APWU believes that USPS must modernize its network in a way that speeds up and improves service” said Dimondstein. “While we are pleased that more facilities will keep their local mail local, we have serious concerns about the latest service standard proposal. We are prepared to engage in the PRC review and to organize in our communities to defend the quality mail service we all deserve.”
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.0
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APWU Welcomes Reversal of Partial USPS Consolidation Efforts, Keeping Mail Processing Local at More Facilities
September 19, 2024The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
Plant Consolidationnetwork modernization
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.
The union has consistently opposed local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away only to then return to the local area. Such a process can only further delay mail.
As such, the union has consistently advocated that mail generated in a local area, for delivery in the local area, should stay and be processed and sorted in the local area.
Recently management has announced a reversal of some previous consolidation efforts and now plan to keep processing of “local mail local” in a number of locations previously expected to have that work moved long distances as part of management’s network modernization plans.
“While the union is still assessing these newly announced changes and seeking more clarification and details, we welcome what appears to be some positive steps in the right direction,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers, elected representatives and communities across the country have made their voices heard to keep local mail local and to avoid any further slow-down in the mail.”
However, along with some positive developments are negative ones. Postal management and the Postal Board of Governors are also filing a case with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that we believe will further slowdown mail service for many areas of the country, particularly in rural America.
“The APWU believes that USPS must modernize its network in a way that speeds up and improves service” said Dimondstein. “While we are pleased that more facilities will keep their local mail local, we have serious concerns about the latest service standard proposal. We are prepared to engage in the PRC review and to organize in our communities to defend the quality mail service we all deserve.”
The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.0
Read More....
APWU President Mark Dimondstein Responds to Trump’s Truth Social Post
September 16, 2024On September 15, former President Donald Trump said that the Postal Service could not be trusted to deliver election mail, an attack on the 650,000 dedicated public servants that make up the United States Postal Service.
vote by mailPresidentMark Dimondstein
On September 15, former President Donald Trump said that the Postal Service could not be trusted to deliver election mail, an attack on the 650,000 dedicated public servants that make up the United States Postal Service.
Donald Trump, when President, planned to privatize the Postal Service and sell it off to his friends on Wall Street. In 2020, when postal workers were risking our lives to keep the country connected, Trump called us “a joke.” He spun dangerous and baseless lies about postal workers and the 2020 elections.
In 2020, postal workers accepted, sorted, transported and timely delivered 69 million ballots as part of our public service. For generations, the Postal Service has helped millions of people safely and securely vote by mail – no matter what party or candidate they may support.
Trump is once again spouting lies about the Postal Service in an attempt to dissuade people from voting by mail. This is voter suppression, plain and simple.
Postal workers take seriously our commitment to the serving the public – the entire public, no matter their political convictions. The public should have every confidence that postal workers will once again stand with the people and are ready to timely and securely deliver election mail again this fall.
APWU President Mark Dimondstein Responds to Trump’s Trump’s Truth Social Post0
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Read More....Postal Service Overhaul Runs Into Challenges
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/us/politics/postal-service-changes-dejoy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.G04.hhuG.VzQrsaTkArJ2&smid=em-shareThursday, August 29, 2024Postal reformA Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal ServiceLouis DeJoy, the postmaster general, defended the 10-year plan to stabilize the agency’s finances, although he acknowledged that officials had faced initial challenges.
Read More....President Mark Dimondstein Updates Members on APWU Contract Negotiations
September 10, 2024Greetings APWU Family,
With our main Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring on September 20th, I wanted to give you a status report.
Mark Dimondstein
Greetings APWU Family!
With our main Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring on September 20th, I wanted to give you a status report.
Simply put, the work of negotiations is proceeding.
Over the summer, your negotiating committee and many of your officers and staff have been laser focused on negotiating the strong new contract you deserve.
Under the solid leadership of Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash, who serves as our chief spokesperson, we’ve worked tirelessly to strategize and formulate proposals. We’ve had main table with meetings with postal management about once a week.
So far, the union has presented some 80 proposals to management. These include vital issues for our members, including an all-career workforce, bridging the divisive multi-tier wage structure, improving workplace safety, better staffing and job security. At this point management has presented 11 proposals.
Once proposals are made and placed into the record, they are often sent to subcommittees for deeper discussion, including Craft Subcommittees, which are headed up by each of the four craft directors.
This Saturday, September 14th, the APWU and management will be locking down for seven days of intense negotiations.
While it is not uncommon for our negotiations to go beyond the expiration date, we do hope to make real progress in the week ahead. In 2021, we reached a tentative agreement in early December. If a new agreement is not reached by September 20th, our union contract will continue in full force and effect.
This is great time to declare, “Union Proud, Say it Loud!” by wearing your union gear and sending management the message that we are united in securing a good contract that respects and rewards postal workers for our dedication and hard work.
We will continue to keep you posted with messages like this on our hotline, which you can reach by calling (202) 642-9049, as well as at apwu.org and on our social media channels.
Solidarity forever APWU members!
President Mark Dimondstein Updates Members on APWU Contract Negotiations0
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