THE BULLETIN BOARD
January 2005
[January 8th]Senate Democrats Lose Committee Assignments
from the APWU Web News Articles
Republican victories in November's congressional elections were reflected in committee assignments when the 109th Congress was seated on Jan. 4. Republicans gained a two-seat edge on major committees as a result of the party's increased majority in the Senate, which now stands at 55-45.
Changes to the newly renamed Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee could be significant for postal workers. The panel, chaired by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), is responsible for postal reform legislation in the Senate. It is now composed of nine Republicans and seven Democrats. In the previous Congress, there were nine Republicans and eight Democrats.
Four Republicans, Arlen Specter (PA), John Sununu (NH), Richard Shelby (AL) and retiring Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (IL) are no longer assigned to the committee. They were replaced by Republicans Pete Domenici (NM), John Warner (VA), Lincoln Chafee (RI), and freshman Tom Coburn (OK). On the Democratic side, Dick Durbin (IL), an outspoken advocate of workers and the USPS, has left the committee and will not be replaced.
Sen. Specter was the lone Republican to vote in favor of an amendment supported by the APWU in the previous session of Congress. The amendment, aimed at limiting excessive "worksharing" discounts for the mailing industry, was endorsed by all eight Democrats and was adopted by the committee as a provision of the postal reform bill it subsequently approved, S. 2468. (No further action was taken on that bill, or on a similar measure approved by the House Government Reform Committee during the 108th Congress.)
Read the entire article on the APWU website.
[January 3rd]Open Season Extended Until January 7, 2005
APWU Health Plan was the highest-rated fee-for-service health plan in the Office of Personnel Management's 2004 comparison of health plans in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program...
The Health Plan ranked first in the quality comparison, based on the following criteria:
- Overall plan satisfaction
- Getting needed care
- Getting care quickly
- How well doctors communicate
- Customer service
- Claims processing
Results of the OPM comparison are available in the 2005 FEHB Guide on OPM's website.
[January 1st]Interested in Donating to Help Tsunami Survivors?
There are many places you can choose to give a donation to. Many have already discovered that their local churches have been collecting. Others are interested in helping, but don't know where, or whom they should trust.
Locally, there is a charitable organization called Brother's Brother Foundation that is already involved in helping the survivors of the tsunami.
Donations include more than money. Instead of money, you can donate some of your time, or you can donate goods that are in great need. Lists of these things are available from Brother's Brother. If you are interested in learning more, please visit their website.
There is also an extensive list at NPR's website, Tsunami Relief: Where to Give.
If you want to give through the AFL-CIO, you can send checks or money orders to:
Tsunami Relief Fund
Solidarity Center
1925 K Street, N.W., Suite 300
Washington DC 20006-1105
[January 1st]Happy New Year!
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