THE BULLETIN BOARD
November 2011
[November 3rd]Senators Introduce Postal Legislation
excerpted from the APWU News Bulletin 26-2011
The 21st Century Postal Service Act, introduced by four senators on Nov. 2, provides short-term financial relief, but also would inflict long-term damage to the nation's mail system, President Cliff Guffey said.
"By failing to provide more substantial financial relief, S. 1789 will harm the USPS and its customers," the union president said. Although the bill would return overpayments the USPS made to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), it would not return overpayments to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Two independent actuarial studies concluded that the USPS has overpaid the CSRS account by $50 billion to $75 billion, but that conclusion is in dispute.
Guffey said it is crucial that APWU members remain vigilant and actively involved in legislative affairs. Several bills have been introduced in Congress, he noted, and varying proposals are being presented to the congressional super-committee that is charged with reducing the nation's deficit. "We must make our voices heard as the debate over the future of the Postal Service develops," he said.
Find the specifics of this bill at the APWU website.
[November 3rd]Mandatory Overtime to End Soon for Many
excerpted from the APWU News Bulletin 29-2011
Beginning Nov. 23, 2011, mandatory overtime will end for many APWU-represented employees.
In accordance with the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement, full-time regular career Clerk Craft and Motor Vehicle Craft employees who work in an installation and functional area with Non-Traditional Full-Time assignments cannot be required to work overtime (except in an emergency), unless they are on the Overtime Desired List. If just one clerk in any station or branch occupies a NTFT duty assignment, clerks working in Function 4 throughout the installation cannot be required to work mandatory overtime unless they are on the OTDL. If only one clerk in mail processing occupies a NTFT duty assignment, then no non-OTDL clerks in Function 1 can be required to work mandatory overtime.
There is no "December exception" for this mandatory overtime prohibition.
"Emergencies" are defined in Article 3 as, "An unforeseen circumstance or a combination of circumstances which calls for immediate action in a situation which is not expected to be of a recurring nature."
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